


Don't Break The Oath

by OpheliasSong



Category: King Diamond - Fandom, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Demonic Possession, Demons, Fate & Destiny, Folklore, Gen, Horror, King Diamond - Freeform, Mercyful Fate, Mythology - Freeform, References to Shakespeare, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Teen Titans - Freeform, Thriller, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-01-13 14:49:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 66,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1230436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpheliasSong/pseuds/OpheliasSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Raven receives an old box of unknown origins, she begins looking for answers. But what she finds may destroy her life beyond repair and possibly even her friends, as she finds it all stems from an oath made long before her birth. (Based on horror, myth, folklore and anything even remotely horrifying. Enjoy!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nothing Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello my little ones! I have been itching to write this story for a while so in the sprite of horror and mayhem I thought there was not better time! This story is very dear to my heart not just because it's a horror story, but because it's inspired by story arches and characters and concept albums by King Diamond (who most of you have never heard of) as well as myth and folklore. I'm hoping these elements make for a good classic horror story that will live up to all I hope it will. So here it is, enjoy!
> 
> With Love -Ophelia

Raven walked the dark street alone under the menacing moonlight. The old dirt road left little comfort as it was tunneled by thick trees, leaving a thin path that seemed to cave in on her. She felt uneasy as her steps quickened and the silence grew even more haunting with every step. Not a soul could be seen in sight and the only light was coming from the very few street lamps that dimly lit the way. Most of which flickered and threatened to burn out, leaving her to the night's mercy.

In the distance a faint symphony of voices could be heard singing through the darkness. Still, there was no one to be seen, but the shadows that loomed around her. Raven began to follow the voices as they grew closer. The singing was sinister as the lyrics began to reveal themselves as an old nursery rhyme. Their rhythm seemed unnatural and robotic, leaving a chill on her spine that wouldn't subside.

As her steps brought her further she peered through the threes, looking for something that went unseen by her own eyes. Only finding more shadows looking back at her from their dark corners where she dare not go. After following the sound, she finally felt a presence that was close, too close. She paused and looked from side to side, trying to locate the source of the voices.

She paused when she reached the end of the road to find an old abandoned house. The Victorian style structure stood tall in the night. Its white paint took on hues of gray in the blue cast of the moonlight, its windows blinded by plywood and nails, leaving the house constructed in a dark, eerie manner. As Raven stood before its darkness, she felt something familiar calling her in. Still, she couldn't quite bring herself to enter the broken structure, even with its haunting nostalgic nature pulling at her will.

Raven took a deep breath and turned around, only to find that she truly wasn't alone. In front of her stood three small children, each of them a different age. They stood directly under the flickering street light and didn't say a word. The tallest, and presumed oldest, stood in the middle, flanked by a small girl with pigtails, wearing a white dress and a slightly younger boy in overalls. In the oldest boy's hands he held a box that radiated of evil, causing Raven to shudder in its presence. All three held their heads downward, keeping their eyes out of sight.

Raven wasn't sure why, but she found herself frightened of the three children in front of her. They seemed odd and unnatural. Their skin was a stark white that lacked life and appeared slightly blue under the street light, as though the very warmth of breath didn't exist within them. Her fear only grow more as all three looked up at her to reveal the solid, black eyes that burned her with their sinister gaze.

Raven gasped and drew back, holding her arm up like a shield. The children didn't move, but refused to take their soulless eyes off her. The tallest one held out the old box and said in a mature voice that lacked any childish virtue, "We are coming to collect you."

Just then, Raven shot upright in fear, only to find herself in the safety of her room. The dark walls provided comfort, yet oddly she still didn't feel quite at ease. Her anxiety was driven even further when she looked at the time that read 3 O'clock.

She let herself fall back, hitting her pillow with force. She wasn't sure if her dream meant anything and it probably didn't, but the hour didn't sit right with her. _Nothing good_ ever happen at _3 O'clock._

She never fall back to sleep; she never could. If she woke up at _3 O'clock_ , than she was _awake_ at _3 O'clock_. After lying in bed for an hour she finally got up and began meditating, going over her thoughts and settling her mind. She did her best to ignore her nightmare and put it to rest with the many others that haunted her, but something still lingered. She tried to think little of it and chopped it up to her nerves, forcing herself to think about other things which she was reluctant to do.

When she was finished she was relieved to find that morning had finally come. She still wasn't sure what to make of her nightmare, but then again she never did. Nightmares were an occurring part of her life, both in consciousness and unconsciousness. To an extent she was used to them. She had a cruel mind and she knew she couldn't escape it. Her demons would follow her wherever she went.

When she finally arrived in the main room, she found the others had already made their way out as well. Cyborg was making breakfast, while Robin was busy scouring the newspaper for leads. Starefire was trying to break up the fight Beast Boy had started with Cyborg over what kind of bacon and eggs they should have for breakfast. This kind of behavior annoyed Raven, but she couldn't help, but feel a smile tug at her lips as she made her way toward the tea kettle.

"Greetings, friend Raven, did you have a glorious slumber?" questioned the green eyed alien girl.

"Ah, it was absolutely thrilling," Raven said sarcastically. She looked around the room to find one Titan was missing and realized the thin blond was no were to be found.

"Where's Terra?" Raven asked with suspicion.

She'd never really trusted girl and the fact she'd betrayed the team in the past just didn't sit right with her.

"She went out to the bay," Beast Boy replied, taking time out of his argument to answer the question of where his missing love had gone.

Raven only shook her head. She really could've cared less where Terra went. To be perfectly honest, she probably would've thrown a silent celebration if she'd heard the girl was gone for good.

Raven then filled her kettle with water and placed it on the stove. Normally while waiting for her water to boil she would have taken a seat next to Robin. (Who was too consumed in his paper to notice anything taking place around him.) She rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Cyborg. This way she could assist him in his noble fight to rid the breakfast table of all things tofu.

After a few banters, the argument finally came to an end with Beast Boy's defeat. Once again Cyborg and his tofu free campaign were victorious. Raven got up when she heard the kettle screaming her name. She pulled the kettle off the stove she took out a lemon tea bag and let it steep a moment before taking it back to her room. As she began to pour a small amount of sugar into her cup, she noticed Robin finally looking up at her. _Oh now he notices me,_ she thought with a long sigh. She had grown tired of his games and tired of him pushing her to be more open.

She placed the sugar bowl down and picked up her tea. Hell bent on making it back to her room without having to speak to the Boy Wonder. However, just as she was about to make her way out of the room, she felt a gloved hand wrap around her free arm. She turned to find exactly who she'd expected to see. Robin standing in front of her with the _very obvious_ words hanging from his lips, "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk," Raven insisted, trying to shoot down the young man's proposal.

"Raven please, I'm sorry," he pleaded as he followed her.

"I know you are, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to talk about it," she said with no emotion and continued walking.

"Haven't you forgiven me yet?"

"Yes."

"Then why won't you talk to me?" Robin ask, trying to keep his voice down.

"Because forgiveness doesn't mean I want to talk to you," she snapped, but still keeping her voice low enough so the others couldn't hear. "Besides you and I both know it's just going to be the same conversation we always have."

"Because eventually you have to accept that we have to tell them," Robin said trying to reason with the girl.

"I know, but I'm not ready to tell them," she stated.

But before the conversation could continue any further, Starfire's voice could be heard loud and clear.

"Friend Terra, what is that you possess?"

"I don't know, I found it at the front door," Terra's voice replied, "there is a note here addressed to, _Raven?"_

Raven who was trying to use this distraction as I diversion to leave, turned in confusion. Robin looked back at the girl with a questioning look as she delivered her own in return. She began to move forward with Robin following beside her. She could see a wooden box sitting on the table waiting for her. Approaching it, she could sense a strange feeling come over her. It became thicker with each step and she couldn't help but feel as though something was trying to provoke fear in her. Robin who was at her side could feel something shifting in her. He knew she was already a bit agitated with him, but this was far different.

When they finally reached the table, Robin could see Raven's caution as she didn't dare touch the box. It was extremely old and made of a thick, sturdy wood. It didn't possess any visible locks or seams. Only strange carvings covered its aged surface which appeared to be foreign words that nobody recognized.

"Where did you say you found this?" Raven asked in a puzzled tone.

"Outside, it was practically on our door step," Terra replied.

"You didn't open it right?" She asked with hastiness to her voice.

"Of course not," Terra replied a little defensive, "besides how could I? There aren't any seams."

"Good," Raven said short and hastily picked up the box, almost flinching as she took it in her hands.

"What's in that thing anyway? Terra asked before the dark girl could walk away.

"Nothing you want to know about," she replied trying to brush off the question and walked off out of view.

"Well that must be some secret," Beast Boy added in response to Raven's behavior.

The rest of the Titans were curious as to what Raven may have been hiding from them. But as always, they knew that no matter how hard they pushed, she would continue to push back just as hard.

After Raven found the safety of her room, she locked the door and placed the dark box on her bed. She wasn't even sure what it was. She just knew whatever the box was made for, it wasn't good. Judging by the weight and the hollowed sound it made she could tell there was something inside. She was almost tempted to shake it as though she were a small child. There was something sinister about the box that tugged at her will, coxing her to open it, but she knew better.

Before she could consult her books and find answers about the strange relic. She heard a knock at her door. This didn't surprise her she knew he would come eventually. Raven walked over to the door and unlocked it. Once she slid the heavy panel open she found him waiting patiently on the other side.

"Hey Rae, can I come in?" Robin asked curiously.

He knew he was on thin ice with her and was clear by the look in her eyes. Whenever she became weary with him they always cast the same smoldering stare that both frightened and captivated him.

"I didn't know, can you?" Raven replied in all her irony. Another trait of hers he both loved and simultaneously resentenced.

"Come on Rae, I'm being serious," he pleaded as Raven turned and gave him an almost dismissive wave of her hand. "Does that mean we can talk now?"

Raven turned again and shook her head. She wasn't sure if she wanted to get into the details of their relationship that early in the morning. Ever since she started seeing Robin against the knowledge of her fellow teammates, things between them seemed to become more _complicated._

"Why the hell not?" she sighed sarcastically.

"Why don't you want to tell the team about, _us_? It's been almost a year now," Robin said standing in front of her.

"Because if we tell them, then that gives them the right to have an opinion," she picked up her tea, but paused before taking a sip, "and I don't want them to have an _opinion_."

Robin flinched at her cynical tone. He knew that she was hesitant about what people thought of them. Or more so what people thought about him with _her_. She was different and most people feared her for it. Even her teammates still found her unnerving at times. She wasn't like them and that was what made her stand out. She reminded Robin of an ironic poem; shallow yet deep. Constantly saying one thing, but completely meaning another. She was like a living metaphor to him, she always kept him guessing. He could spend hours just listening to her talk about all the strange things she found intriguing, all the things that made her full. Yet at the same time, she could appear empty and withdrawn. These were the moments he feared the most. He wanted to protect her, but he knew there were times when he couldn't. Which brought him to ask the better question.

"So what's with the box?"

Raven shook her head and hesitated to answer the question at first. It was a clear sign to Robin that whatever it was, it scared the hell out of her.

"I don't know yet," she replied simply as he sat down on the bed beside her.

"Are you going to open it?"

"Whoever made this box has made it very clear that it should never be opened."

"Why do you say that?"

"The box is nailed shut," she said with warning, trying to covey her suspicions to him. "It also has no seams and no hidden locks. It was made to remain closed."

"To keep people out," Robin stated looking at the old relic.

"...Or to keep something from getting out," Raven said in a grave tone, causing a chill to run up his spine.

Still, curiosity scratched his surface, wanting to know what could possibly invoke so much fear in her."What do you think's in there?"

"Nothing good."

__


	2. Who are They

Raven placed the box in a chest she kept in the back of her closet. The things she kept locked inside of it were among some of the darkest secrets she'd ever known. Most of which would never again see the light of day. Robin stood at the doorway waiting for her to lock them away, knowing the things she kept there were better left forgotten and never asked about them.

When Raven emerged from the closet she placed the key in a drawer that had a false bottom. Robin knew of the drawer's hidden secret, though his knowing was purely by accident. He'd been looking for where she'd stashed his communicator after a little argument they'd had about him not taking time off from work. So, to teach him a lesson she stole his communicator while he was in the shower and hid it in the last place he'd look; his bed. However, Robin thought she'd hid it somewhere in her room, thinking he would never go through her things without her knowing (wrong) and stumbled on the false bottom by mistake.

Raven of course being as clever as she was knew right away what he'd done, but given the circumstances couldn't really be all that angry with him. However she never told Robin where his communicator was and he found it a month later when he finally slept in his own bed. It was quirks like that that made their relationship interesting though. The fact that they knew each other so well, yet still found ways to surprise one another. They found moments like that refreshing and adventurous.

Raven looked at Robin after reinforcing the false bottom. She could see he still wasn't going to let their passed conversation go as he said, "So I guess we're not telling the team then?"

Raven sighed and sat down on her bed. She didn't want to deal with the repercussions and what they might think. She didn't want them getting involved in her relationship or asking questions about it.

"You know why we can't tell them."

"Raven, Starfire can handle it. She's stronger then you give her credit for," Robin replied.

"Robin it's not that simple."

"Rae, Star and I broke up two years ago. It's over between us."

"She's still in love with you." Raven sighed in frustration not meaning to let something so personal slip.

Before Robin could respond, a loud piercing scream could be heard as it cut through the silence.

"Starfire," Robin gasped as the two ran out of the room and down the hall.

When they reached her room they swung the door open to find it empty, but then heard another scream come from the bathroom followed by a plea for help. Robin burst through the door followed by Raven who carried a look of worry on her face.

"Starfire, what's the matter, what's wrong?" Robin shouted.

"There! In the sink!" The frantic girl screamed.

Raven tried to calm the alien girl down as Robin approached the sink with caution, unsure of what he would find. For a moment the only sound that could be heard was the faucet running. Starfire had finally stopped screaming, which Raven's ears were grateful for, but the mystery of what was in the sink still held her anticipation. Once Robin reached the sink he slowly leaned over and peered in. And to his surprise he found something unusual.

"Star, that's a beetle."

"A beetle!" Raven hissed in frustration.

"That creature is most awful!" Starfire shouted in disgust. "You must dispose of it at once."

"For real?" Raven questioned shooting Robin a look of annoyance. She was grateful that her friend was not in any real danger, but the fact that she was caring on about a simple beetle made Raven's eyes roll in disapproval. Especially because Starfire fought things far more frightening than an insect on a daily basis. So to see her lose it over something that could be defeated by the sole of ones shoe seemed rather ridiculous.

"Star it's fine I'll take it outside," Robin said.

Just then the other three Titans came barreling into the room.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked with worry as the other two looked curious for answers.

"Princess Starry Eye here just found a bug," Raven said brushing off the incident with her usual dry sense of humor.

"Holy shit I thought someone was being slaughtered back here," Beast Boy sighed in relief. "I thought we might have another Wicked Scary on our hands."

"Yeah, well you can't believe everything that happens in the movies," Raven interjected.

"Yeah Rae, you just keep telling yourself that, but I'm not the one who recreated the entire movie."

 _Shit, I forgot about that_ , Raven thought, but recovered quickly by telling Beast Boy she would do it again if he didn't shut up.

While this banter was going on Terra approached the sink to see what the big deal was. She looked into the porcelain bowl to find a sleek, black beetle of great size, with six jagged legs and a slightly furry under belly. In the background the sound of her teammates could be heard discussing what should be done with it. She looked down at its head where two sinisterly sharp pinchers could be found. There was something eerie about, something almost unreal that pulled at her subconsciously. She slowly reached down with the beetle in her sights and took it in her hand.

"… So I'm gonna take it outside and let it…"

"Ouch!" Terra screamed causing the other Titans to look in her direction as she threw the beetle down and crushed it under her boot.

"Go," Robin said finishing his sentence out of irony.

"Ah! That damn thing bit me!" Terra scuffed, pulling her foot off of the crushed insect's corpse, a trail of guts and other unmentionables clinging to the bottom of her boot. The gruesome sight causing the others to bear a look of disgust on their faces.

"Nice," Raven muttered dryly and left the room, mutter on as she did so. "Well on that note, I'm gonna go try and repress everything I just saw here today."

Robin tried to follow her, but before he could make it out of the room he felt the death grip of his ex-girlfriend smothering the life out of him.

"Oh, thank you Robin!"

"For what, I didn't do anything." Robin managed through what little breath he had.

"Don't be foolish," Starfire squealed. "I requested your assistance and you came to destroy that awful creature."

While this was taking place Beast Boy was examining Terra's beetle bite.

"You ok, Terra?" He asked taking care not to touch the tiny wound. Though it wasn't deep or serious, it still possessed a painful appearance. Its razor sharp pinchers had broken the skin causing it to bleed lightly. At this discovery he turned on the faucet and reached for a wash cloth. "This might sting a bit," he warned motioning the cloth toward Terra's hand.

"On second thought, I think I'll just take care of it myself," The thin blond said with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

Beast Boy looked puzzled and questioned why the girl looked fearful of having him clean the bite. "Terra I'm sure it's not gonna be that bad."

Still she waved her hand in revolt and insisted that she would do it herself and left the room in a hurry. Cyborg looked at the green boy with a shrug as they both wondering what all the fuss was about.

Meanwhile Raven had finally reached the peace of her room and closed the door tightly behind her. By this time her tea had become lukewarm at best and her patience had been tested far beyond its limits. She found Starfire's outburst childish and irrational, not to mention Terra's brutal bug murder disgusting and disturbing. Not that she thought Terra to be cruel for doing it, but more so that she didn't need to see it.

Raven approached her bookcase and pulled out a large book, bounded in dark leather. Sitting down on her bed she began turning the pages looking for answers to the mysterious box. The old book was heavy and its dried leather face wore the age of wisdom. Its pages were discolored and delicate, threatening to tear under the greatest of ease. The inked words were written in an old tongue that most wouldn't recognize as Latin.

Raven was actually quite fluent in Latin as well as several other dead languages such as ostrogothic, Koiné, Celtiberian, Old Norse, and Mysian. Languages were something Raven had always been quite good at. Even as a child in Azarath she spent most of her days learning different languages from the world of her mother. Taking in all the different characteristics and structures of each individual language, but Latin was by far her favorite. She even became quite familiar with other Latin based languages, like French and Italian. Including older variations of the languages like old French and English. However, none of these languages resembled the words that had been carved into the box. This troubled Raven a bit. Not only did she not have any knowledge of what the box possibly contained, but she didn't even know what it was.

She began flipping through the pages looking for anything that could possibly hold answers to her many questions. After about an hour she closed the old book and placed it back on the shelf then moved to her desk. A few moments later she found herself rummaging through an old drawer till her fingers felt the requested object resting at their tips. She pulled out an old piece of charcoal, followed by some loose sheets of paper. It was then Raven opened the drawer that contained the false bottom and pulled it free to retrieve the key. With all the objects in hand she entered her closet and opened the chest. She looked down at the old relic, its evil pouring out of the chest where it had been somewhat contained. With cautious hands she reached down and took the box in her grasp and placed it on the floor. All the while thinking of how much she hated touching it, feeling its sinister aura invading her own, almost making her sick.

Once the box was free from her hands she placed a piece of paper over the top, and began to rub the charcoal over it, creating a rough looking replica of the mysterious words on the white sheet. She continued this action with a fresh sheet on every side until all the words had been replicated.

After this task was complete, she placed the horrid box back in its cage and locked it in the dark where it belonged. Once again placing the key under the false bottom to insure her secrets remained hidden. She placed the papers on the desk and took out a new book hoping to find some sort of starting point for her search. Hours began to roll by and still nothing tangible revealed itself. She began to rub her temples in frustration. She couldn't believe after the amount of time she'd spent researching that she had absolutely nothing to go on.

Reaching for her mug she once again found herself aggravated that she was fresh out of tea. In retaliation she groaned and began to stretch, her muscles protesting and hesitant to release themselves. She soon heard a knock at her door and with a light flip of her wrist the door pulled open revealing her masked lover standing in the entryway.

"You look tired."

"Yeah that's what happens when you run out of tea." Raven responded wittily. "Mind getting me a refill?"

"How about I do you one better," Robin smirked and entered the room. "How about I take you out to your favorite café?"

Raven paused a moment and thought of the request. She knew that she should probably stay in and keep up the research, but she also knew that she was far too burnt out to keep reading. She looked down at the pages in front of her, which were becoming a bit blurred as her eyes struggled to adjust.

"That's probably a good idea, I'll get changed."

Raven watched a smile pull across Robin's face as he left to get ready. Once the door was closed, Raven slipped out of her uniform and pulled out a torn pair of jeans. She also pulled out a pair of fishnet stockings and slipped them on in an attempt to stay warm. The fall in Jump City was mostly a continuation of summer, but it cooled down a bit more at night. Once she finished pulling on her stockings she followed with her jeans. Finally she put on a black sweater and tied a purple scarf around her neck. As she was loosely tying her black combat boots she heard Robin knock at the door. Once again she opened it with her black energy then grabbed her black vintages style coat to meet him in the hall.

"You look great." Robin said after checking to make sure none of the others were around to hear his compliment.

Raven smiled and thanked him as she shut the door behind her. The two walked down the hallway side by side until they reached the main room. Raven hated moments like this. One, because she knew Robin wanted their relationship known yet he was forced to hide it. She too didn't like lying to her friends, but couldn't help but avoid the conflict.

"Hey guys, where you off to?" Questioned a lazy Beast Boy, who didn't look away from the TV.

"Just out for coffee." Robin said brushing off the question and continued to move toward the front door.

"Cool."

Once the two reached the door, Robin reached out for the handle, but before he could place his hands on the nob the door flew open to reveal a pink haired girl standing in the doorway.

"Hey love Birds, what's going on?"

"Jinx, what brings you to this neck of woods?" Raven asked in surprise to find the young sorceress at her door. Ever since Jinx left the Hive she'd become quite the ally, not only to the Titans, but also to Raven. "I thought you were in Blue Valley with Kid Flash?"

"I was," the pink haired girl said with a sly tone, "but I got tired of that one cow town."

"So what are you doing here?" Robin asked.

"We invited her." A voice said as Terra had emerged from her room where she'd been hiding for most of the day.

Raven looked at Jinx with question. It was strange for Jinx and Terra to spend time together. Not that she and Raven were even the best of friends, but they shared a certain understanding and Terra was part of that understanding.

"You two leaving so soon?" Jinx questioned in a playful manner.

"We're going to get coffee." Raven responded in annoyance.

"Oh, so that's what you call it."

Raven shot Jinx another look, but this one said far more than the previous one.

"You really need to lighten up," Jinx said in a dull tone. "Have fun with your _coffee_."

Raven shook her head and remained silent as she and Robin walked out of the room, leaving the three Titans behind.

Once Raven and Robin were no longer in ear shot Jinx turned to the group and said in a mischievous voice, "So are you guys ready to start?"

333

When Raven and Robin reached the garage they found a consumed Cyborg intently working on his car. Raven decided to take the opportunity and ask him if he wouldn't mind reviewing the surveillance footage to see if anything could be found to reveal who left the box. Cyborg smiled and said he would do it first thing in the morning. Raven returned the smile as she got on Robin's civilian motorcycle, (the one he only rode without his mask.)

Back inside the tower, Jinx was busy having Starfire and Terra light candles that smelled of herbs and oils while she set down a heavy wooden board that was much older than her. It was what most people knew of as a Ouija board. Its old letters had been carved into it alongside the images of the sun and the moon which represented the opposition between light and dark. Once all the candles were in place and the board was prepared, Jinx had Beast Boy turn the lights out. While everyone sat down in a circle she told the three teens to be as quiet as possible.

This was something these few Titans had been dying to do for a long while. But with Raven hell bent against the use of a Ouija board, the opportunity hardly ever presented itself. Not to mention Robin and Cyborg would also never approve and frowned upon the idea, especially because Raven felt it was dangerous.

A few moments went by and Beast Boy was finally able to stop himself from giggling as he could hardly even take the situation seriously. Jinx then began to ask a few basic questions.

"Ouija, Ouija, Ouija, is there anyone out there who would like to speak to us?" The four looked down at the dial, but it remained still. "Don't be shy, we are willing to listen."

A few moments later their fingers began to glide along the letters and numbers until the word hello was spelled.

"This is such bullshit," Terra snapped.

"Shut up," Jinx demanded and began to ask another question. "I apologize for my friend, are you still there?"

The dial slid and landed on yes while Beast Boy tried to hold back his laughter.

"Do you have a name?" The dial began to spell out a word and Jinx called out the letters aloud, "M, A, Y, B, E. Maybe. What does that mean?". Once again the dial continued to move and spelled, "I'm not telling you."

"Creepy." Beast Boy said as the others nodded in agreement.

Once again Jinx told them to be quiet and to be "respectful" to the spirit then asked another question. "Are you a good spirit?" The dial once again moved, but this time it spelled out a very long arrangement that Jinx was able to untangle as, "Who said there is only one of us."

"Beast Boy is right; this is of the creepy." Starfire squealed, causing the others to jump in surprise.

Jinx began to feel a little uneasy, but composed herself and continued with another question. "How many of you are there?" The dial moved and responded with 3. "Are you from the sun or the moon?" The dial once again began to spell out a word that Jinx read aloud. "N, E, I, T, H, E, R, Neither. Then where are you from?" Jinx again read the letters aloud as Beast Boy recorded them on a piece of paper. "The pit? You came from a pit?"

"No," the dial pointed, "The Pit"

"Are you… evil?"

The dial didn't move as the four remained quiet and still waiting for a response. Just then, a glass broke causing the teens jump in fear.

"What the hell was that?" Beast Boy cried out.

"Friend Jinx, make it stop please." Starfire pleaded.

"Ok, alright, I'm going to close out the board." But when Jinx tried to pull the dial down to "goodbye," it kept moving to "no".

"Jinx quit it, just close out the damn board already." Beast boy demanded, but noticed the look of worry on the young sorceresses' face as she said, "I can't, the sprite won't let me."

The other two girls looked worried and Beast Boy seemed just as disturbed, but when the candles all blow out and the room became cold. All four could feel something that was not of this earth began to creep around them.

Jinx was still very fearful, but swallowed her apprehension and continued, hoping to find a way to put the spirit to rest. She asked one more question and hoped she would get an answer. "Who are you?" The dial moved one last time and Jinx spelled out the following letters, "T, H, E, M."

"Them." Terra whispered to everyone's surprise.

"Who is... Them?" Starfire asked when all of the sudden a cabinet door slammed closed from the kitchen and a vulgar scratching sound could be heard from the walls. The noise was slow and harsh, resembling sharp nails clawing at wood as the vigorous grinding could be heard above and around them. Jinx told everyone not to move for a moment. But a loud crash of glass breaking caused everyone to cry out in fear as a picture frame containing a group shot, hit the wall. It Shattered into pieces and fell to the floor in fragments.

"Somebody turn on the light please!" Starfire screamed as the green boy shot up and run for the switch.

It was then, Jinx looked down to find a dark liquid pooling on the board. She looked up at Terra who was sitting before the black substance and when the lights flicked on was horrified to find blood pouring from the blonde's nose. Not only had it covered the board, but it had run down her neck and stained the collar of her shirt.

"I don't feel well." Terra said in an aloof state, her voice foggy and her eyes distant.

Starfire and Beast Boy looked extremely disturbed as it appeared Terra had been bleeding for quite some time. Just then the door flew open, causing everyone to once again jump as Jinx pushed the Ouija board under the couch. Cyborg revealed himself with a look of concern as he said, "Is everything ok up here, I heard screaming?"

He looked over and noticed Terra covered in blood as she began to vomit, causing even more worry and panic. Everyone pulled back in a moment of revulsion, but quickly pulled themselves together to aid their friend. Beast Boy ran to her side and pulled her hair back as she purged, while Cyborg retrieved a pot from the kitchen. He called out to Jinx to go for a washcloth. Jinx shot up and quickly walked to the bathroom, she herself trying to hold down her own bile at the sight she'd just seen. Once she was in the bathroom she flipped on the light and closed the door. Pressing her back against it, she wearily noticed her hands were smeared with blood. In a slight state of a panic, Jinx rushed to the sink and turned on the faucet, scrubbing the blood off in a vigorous fashion. When she was done she splashed cool water on her face in an attempt to pull herself from the shock she felt. After a few deep breaths she grabbed a towel and began to pat her face dry.

When she looked up in the mirror she was horrified to see the very image of death looking back at her from the mirror's reflective surface. Her features were plagued with a deathly white and blue, causing an icy appearance on her flesh. But what frightened her most was her eyes. Appearing cold and dead with a gray cast to them that reeked of decay, making her eyes look more corpse like than anything. In a mix of disgust and revolution, Jinx pulled back and hit the wall behind her in a panic, then shot out of the bathroom and down the hall with fear on her tail.

When she reached the main room she found the others gathered around Terra. Cyborg turned to the visibly unsettled girl who was now trying to hide her anxiety. Jinx hardly stopped when his eyes fell upon her and kept moving toward the front door.

"Jinx did you get that wash cloth?" The mechanical man asked.

"I have to go, I'm sorry," she responded with haste and quickly moved toward her exit.

Cyborg seemed disturbed and off put by the girl's odd behavior and looked to the others for answers. "What was that about?"

Starfire and Beast Boy shot each other a quick glance that Cyborg hardly noticed, both shaking their heads at his question.

Once Jinx was safely outside the tower she pulled out her communicator. She had no idea what she'd seen in the mirror or what even happened. She just knew something wasn't right and needed to call the one person she thought would understand.

"Raven, it's Jinx. Please call me as soon as you get this. I can't explain right now. Just call me, ok." Jinx hung up the communicator and prayed to whatever god that would listen that Raven would call her. She began to make her way home beneath a sky of uncertainty with only the looming feeling of fear to keep her company the entire way there.


	3. Them

The Apartment was dark and dimly lit just how she liked it. However the darkness that usually brought her much comfort only made her grow more fearful. She anxiously paced the length of the living room waiting for her communicator to sound off, but it remained as silent as the dead. Jinx continued to feel uneasy in the dark apartment, looking around at the dark art that covered the walls and bled into the decor.

She thought back to what she'd seen back at the tower, but didn't know what to make of it. Her specialty was cures, not demonology, and even at that she never called on demons for assistance, only spirits. She knew that even Raven's knowledge may not be quintessential, but she was without a doubt more qualified than her.

Still, the communicator remained quiet, causing Jinx to become more anxious. She a few moments passed and she heard a loud crash coming from her right and turned to face it. She looked over to her sliding glass door and found a small amount of blood smeared on the glass pane. In fear, she stepped back and examined the door. She noticed a large black bird of reasonable size lying on her sun porch. Its motionless body, lying still and lifeless, tugged on the girl's heart strings. Jinx, slowly began to approach the door with caution in her steps, knowing the bird could be an omen or something of that sort. When she reached the door she slowly opened it as the bird appeared to lay dead at her feet. Slowly kneeling down and looked at the lifeless creature. Its black feathers were glossy in the moonlight, giving the deceased creature an elegant, yet macabre appearance. For a moment she felt the need to touch it and reached out her hand. As her fingertips were about to make contact with its sleek feathers, the image of blood once again appeared on her hands. In horror she quickly stumbled back into the apartment, forgetting to close the slider door.

Once in the apartment the panicked girl rushed to kitchen in haste to wash blood from her hands. Holding her hands under the running water the girl scrubbed, but they wouldn't come clean. Her panic became even more overpowering as a rush of guilt worked its way into her mind. This feeling only made her scrub harder as she became hell-bent on cleansing the blood from her hands. Jinx could feel her fear beginning to burn in her cat-like eyes, as warm tears formed in the pools of pink. The burning was soon followed by faint sobs and cries, her hands beginning to sting from how raw they'd become. At this point, Jinx realized that the blood on her hands was now her own as she looked down at her damaged flesh.

She slid down to the cold tile floor and began to weep, still looking down at her bloody hands as it pooled in her palms. She looked over and noticed her slider door was now closed. Her breath tightened and her eyes became wide as she recalled not taking the time to close it in her panic. In fear she clutched her knees, frozen in horror at what was now possibly in her home. The silence was deathly and the air became cold. She felt an eerie feeling fall upon her like a set of eyes moving on her skin. Her heart stopped as a loud banging could be heard, causing hot tears to come running down her face. The sound could then be heard again as Jinx realized it was a knock at the door.

"Jinx, it's me Raven, let me in."

Jinx felt a sigh of relief flood over her as her muscles released themselves.

"Oh thank god," the girl said letting go of her anxiety and wiped away her tears. She slowly pulled herself up, her hands still slick with blood. Taking hold of a towel the girl moved to the door and quickly swung it open as she continued, "You scared the hell out of…" Jinx stopped short as looked down in shock to find three small children staring up at her with soulless black eyes.

An overwhelming wave of anxiety crashed over her as the little boy in the middle said, "Please let us in."

333

Raven absent mindedly looked at the people around her while she waited for Robin to return with their order. It wasn't the most stimulating thing for her to do, but it was hard not to. The constant vibration of emotion was all around her and she unwillingly found pleasure in it. She looked at a young couple to her left who were very much in the throes of love and couldn't take their eyes off one another. To her right was a young woman who expressed a troubling sorrow which she tried to block out, but her empathy seemed to be pulling at her.

"Alright, one pumpkin spiced tea with three sugars and honey for you, and one black coffee for me."

She looked up at the young man as he placed her tea down in front of her and smiled. Looking into his blue eyes she found peace. However, taking a sip of her tea she couldn't help but feel the depressed girl's thoughts invading her own as she found it even harder to shut her out.

"So when did you decide to tell Jinx we're dating?"

"I didn't, she figured it out on her own."

"So how do you know she won't say anything?" Robin inquired in a curious tone.

"Because I threatened her with her life," Raven replied dryly. "We'll tell them eventually…"

"Just not today," Robin said finishing the dark girl's thought, a look of disappointment cast in his eyes.

Raven looked down at the table; the young woman's sadness began to pull at her own. Raven started to become uncomfortable and squirmed in her chair trying to shake the girl off, but with hardly any luck. The silence between her and Robin was becoming awkward and coincidently, was causing Raven to take on the girl's sadness even more.

"Raven where are you going?" Robin asked as she rose from her chair and looked down at him.

"I just need a minute."

She moved over to the lone girl in the corner and sat down in the empty seat across from her. The redhead looked up from the book she was pretending to read and saw the violet haired girl in front of her. Before she could ask the obvious question Raven held out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Raven."

Confused the girl replied, "Emilie," and took Raven's hand in hers.

"Emilie, that's pretty. So Emilie, I know this is going to sound strange, but your conflict will work itself out. I know you think you aren't capable of making the right decision, but you are. You just need to believe in yourself and what you think is right. Then, I promise you, all the pieces will fall into place"

With that Raven let go of the girls hand and stood up from her chair. The girl looked stunned and slightly shaken. Robin, who was looking on from his seat was used to this sight. Raven being an empath meant she couldn't go into public without helping those in need. Including those who didn't know they were asking for it. It was something he loved about her. No matter how cynical she was or how cold she could come off, she always wore her compassion on her sleeve.

When Raven made her way back to the table and picked up her coat and tea as she looked down at Robin and said, "Let's go."

Robin followed her request and picked up his coffee and followed her out of the café. Once outside he tried to ask her about the girl. She replied that it was simply not her secret to tell, just her job to give her the emotional stability to make the best decision for her. Before the two began their walk home, Robin realized he'd forgotten his wallet and ran back into the café to get it.

Raven found herself alone outside the café. The street was practically empty and hardy anyone could be seen except for a figure in the distance. A white silhouette in a vintage Victorian style outfit walked gracefully in her direction. She wore a fitted pencil skirt that flared about the knees and her fitted white coat was perfectly hugging her curves. As she got closer, Raven noticed her stark white outfit bore black detailing in the form of buttons and ribbons. Her brown hair was pinned up in a flawless updo and her red lips became vibrant against her creamy white complexion.

Once she was within a few feet of Raven the woman looked over at her and smiled as she said in crisp British accent, "My what a lovely face you have, almost lovely enough to paint." The words were plastic and her mannerisms had a rehearsed nature to them, as though starving for a certain kind of perfection.

Raven looked at the woman and cracked a dry smile as she replied to the odd compliment. "Thanks," she then noticed that the woman carried with her a black lace umbrella which she found odd. "What's with the umbrella?"

The woman laughed as though her response was faulty and said, "Well, you never know when it's going to rain."

"No offense, but even if it does rain, I don't think _that_ umbrella is going to do much."

"Oh well I was being metaphorical. I thought a clever girl like yourself would have picked up on that."

Raven rolled her eyes at the woman and looked in the window to see if she could spy Robin making his way out when she heard the woman speak again.

"You know sometimes two birds of a feather don't have the same endeavor." She said spinning her umbrella, "It's actually quite funny how someone as alive as him can love someone as cold as death."

"What the hell is your problem?" Raven spat looking at the woman who seemed oddly plastic.

"Nothing my dear, death quite becomes you, you know. It's what makes your beauty so haunting. But still, your face won't due; I need one that's more _alive_." Her words were strange and ethereal, leaving Raven bewildered in their wonder.

The woman held out her hand to reveal Robin's wallet. Confusion soon took over the girl's features as she looked up at the woman's empty smile.

"Rae, what are you doing?" A familiar voice said causing Raven to turn around to find Robin looking at her with curiosity.

"Um, nothing, I was just…" Raven turned back to where the lady had stood just moments ago to find nothing but the empty street. In shock Raven felt a cold chill run down her spine, but quickly pushed it away and regained her composure. "I found your wallet; I must have grabbed it by mistake."

"Oh good, I was nervous it might have been stolen."

"You don't even know." Raven chuckled nervously, trying her best to keep her axeity from taking over.

Shortly after the incident Robin suggested that the two go for a walk through the park before heading home. Raven thought about telling him of the strange woman, but for some reason couldn't. There was something odd about the encounter that made her question its reality and began bring it to reason.

Still she found the boy's arms around her comforting as they cut through the park. The stars glistened in the night sky as the slight scent of autumn filled the air around them. Not a sound could be heard except the light call of the wind singing through the night. Raven found herself lost in the moment under the starry arches with the man that she loved.

"I love Raven," Robin whispered lightly against her ear. "You know that right?"

Raven took a deep breath before responding, it wasn't his love for her that she questioned, but her love for him. Not that she didn't love Robin, she did, but she feared her love for him to be toxic at times. Which was why she became so offended by the lady's words, she feared them to be true. She couldn't help but wonder what he saw in her. She was a short tempered, lone wolf with an attitude, yet he found her endearing.

"I love you too Richard." She said calling him by his given name.

His smile became radiant as he pulled the young woman in a kiss and held her there for a long moment. When their lips parted they walked hand in hand until they reached the spot where Robin parked his motorcycle. They soon found themselves back at the tower and as they walked through the front door they were greeted by a foul scent. The two looked around to find Cyborg cleaning up the remints of broken glass that lay scattered across the carpet. It was then Raven's eyes caught a dark stain that she eminently knew was blood.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, I didn't hear you two come in." The robotic man said in a tired voice. "I'm not really sure, Beast Boy said something about a game that got out of hand."

"Is that…"

"Blood, yeah. Terra got pretty sick tonight and ended up with a bloody nose. Freaked everyone out including Jinx, and I thought that girl had a strong stomach." Cyborg chuckled.

"Is Terra alright?" Robin asked with a concerned look on his face.

"She'll be fine, I ran some tests and everything looked normal, but I'm gonna run more tomorrow if she's still not feeling well."

"It doesn't smell like she is gonna be fine." The violet haired girl said questionably.

Both boys looked up at her with questionable looks. She realized that her morbid sense of humor may have been a little misplaced, but she couldn't help it, being a bit of a cynic was kind of her thing. However, something still didn't sit right with her. The stain was quite large for a simple nose bleed and judging by the unmistakable scent of vomit, whatever was wrong with her didn't seem normal.

"Are you sure Terra is alright?"

"As far as the tests show everything is normal, but I am waiting on the results of some blood work I did. They should be ready by the morning." Cyborg replied picking up the last of the glass.

"You look really tired Cye, why don't you go to bed. Raven and I can finish cleaning this mess."

Raven looked over at Robin with a look of disapproval, but quickly locked it away when she saw how relieved the mechanical man looked after all he'd been through. Cyborg always got stuck with the cleanup and not just with physical messes, but metaphorical ones. Whether it was picking up the pieces of a shattered ego or the just another broken glass, he always remained the pillar that kept the team standing.

Raven nodded her head to indicate that she'd be more than willing to aid in the cleanup which Cyborg greatly accepted. The mechanical man soon retired for the night after telling the two what was left to clean. It was soon after that Raven found herself vigorously attempting to scrub stained blood out of the already red carpet. This she was thankful for. If it had been any other color she probably wouldn't have succeeded in getting most of the discoloration out. Robin on the other hand was busy trying to clean the left over vomit that Raven refused to touch.

"I think we are going to need a new carpet." The Boy Wonder said in defeat.

"I think you're right." The two birds looked up at each other and smiled as Raven said, "We should probably call it a night."

Robin nodded in agreement and moved to the kitchen to put all the cleaning supplies away. Raven who was not far behind stopped dead in her tracks as she felt as though a pair of eyes were watching her from somewhere she couldn't see. She looked around slowly, trying to locate the strange presence, but became distracted when she saw that the group photo was missing from its usual place. A question began to form in her mind, but before it could completely take fruition she heard the sound of Robin's voice break through her walls.

"Rae you ok?"

She turned quickly, shaking off the strange feeling with a dismissive nature and assured Robin she was fine, just deep in a thought. After the two finished their cleanup they headed down the hall to Raven's room. Once inside they began to get ready for bed. After Raven finished washing off what little makeup she had on, she noticed the red light on her communicator blinking with demand. She'd once again forgotten it, leaving it on her dresser where it was now in plain view. She took the device in her hand and sat down on her bed to find there was only one missed call from, "Jinx."

"Raven, it's Jinx. Please call me as soon as you get this. I can't explain right now. Just call me, ok."

The message sounded frantic as though her friend was in a bit of a panic when she left it. Robin over heard the message from the bathroom and came out curious if it was indeed Jinx's voice he'd heard. Raven confirmed his suspicion and began to return her call. A few long moments went by with no response, making both Raven and Robin become even more unsettled. Their nervous expressions however faded as the familiar voice of the pink haired girl finally came on the line.

"Hello?"

"Oh thank god, Jinx you had us worried, are you alright?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" The young sorceress questioned with little emotion.

"I got your message, you sounded pretty freaked out. What happened?"

"Oh that. I was just afraid to walk home alone, but I'm fine now, really."

Raven found the girl's response strange, one because Jinx wasn't afraid of anything and two she walked home alone all the time. She was more than capable of taking care of herself and it was a miracle if she'd even let her boyfriend walk her to her apartment building.

"Jinx are you sure you're alright?" Raven asked questioning the sincerity of Jinx's reasoning.

"Yes Raven I'm fine, I'm just not feeling well. I'll call you tomorrow alright." The pink haired girl hung up the phone before Raven could even respond, leaving her to the lonely sound of the dial tone howling in her ear.

"That was strange," Robin said taking a seat next to Raven on the bed.

"This whole day has been strange." She replied as Robin wrapped his arms around her and noticed the time.

"Well it's officially over as of now."

Raven smiled weakly while Robin suggested that the two go to bed for the night and crawled under the soft covers. Once the two became comfortable Robin leaned in and gave her a long kiss goodnight and killed the light. The darkness quickly engulfed everything in the room and the two soon fell fast asleep.

333

It was dark, too dark as she awoke to the weight of her body being pressed on the cold, hard floor beneath her. She couldn't see anything and fell into a slight panic when she heard footsteps moving around her. Her vision too incased with black to see who they belonged to. Her ears followed the steps until they were replaced with the sound of weight being placed on old floor boards that seemed to be moving above her head.

Too nervous to move, she pulled herself up right and placed her hands on the cold sensation of concrete. She let her hands move slowly along the cool surface trying to get a better sense of where she was. She took in the scent of dust and debris as it lifted from the floor. She swallowed when her hands fell upon something solid, yet soft. Before she could explore it further the footsteps finally stopped. A long moment of silence filled the room, but was followed by the slow sound of rusty door hinges wining in a chilling agony. The sound was not only abrasive to her ears, but also her skin, as every hair on her body seemed to stand on end.

Raven looked up to where the sound seemed to be coming from and noticed the vague image of a dark shadow moving through a now open doorway. The light that poured into the darkness was only but a shred of moonlight that managed to bleed in from an upstairs window. The thought of ascending the staircase crossed Raven's mind, but the fear of what possibly awaited her proved too strong.

She let her eyes wander, trying to make out the visible shadows around her. Everything was featureless under the pale light. Nothing seemed to move and the only sound she heard was her heart beating loudly in a rhythmic pace. She couldn't help but feel as though someone was watching her and began to wonder how she even got to the strange place.

Suddenly she heard a light fluty voice sing as it echoed from a far direction. It was the voice of a lone little girl softly singing words she couldn't quite make out. Looking around, she noticed a stretch of moonlight peering in from what appeared to be another room and slowly pulled herself to her feet. Moving slowly, she cautiously moved around dust covered furniture and odd shapes she didn't want to make out. As she approached the doorway where the moonlight was coming from she began to hear the hollow words become more clear with every step.

_"Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,_

_Your house is on fire and your children are gone,_

_All except one,_

_Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,_

_Your house is on fire, your children shall burn!"_

As Raven entered the room she found it bathed in silvery light. In the middle sat a little girl in a white dress that was stained in a substance that appeared dark purple under the blue cast. She sat with her back to Raven and continued to sing her macabre lullaby. Raven continued to move toward the small girl who seemed to be too engrossed with something in her hands to notice the young woman behind her. Finally, Raven was close enough to the girl to peer over and see what she was playing with. Slowly, leaning over, she looked down at the girl's hands to find a morbid looking necklace. It was made of a strange looking metal and shaped like some sort of serpent-like creature. Its claws and wings spread out triumphantly to the each side. At the bottom of the sinister creature was what appeared to be an eye, being round with a strange blue surface that truly did resemble a human iris.

Before Raven could truly make sense of the strange object, she suddenly found herself looking into the shallow depths of the black eyes of little girl.

"All except one and you'd better run." The little girl said with absolutely no emotion in her voice.

Raven took a step back from the little girl in shock. The little girl didn't move. She just sat in her place and watched the frightened girl with her lifeless stare. Raven could feel the black eyes upon her, leaving a feeling of violation and discomfort. Looking at the smears across the girl's face, Raven realized the stains on her dress were in fact blood, and froze in her place.

The little girl suddenly got up with the necklace still in hand. She cocked her head to one side and took a step toward Raven who took one back in response.

"What are you so afraid of?" She said stepping forward again. "It will all be over soon."

Raven continued backing away from her, trying to keep a steady distance between them. As she entered the next room she stumbled over the object her hands had touched mere moments before. She fell to the floor and landed in a pool of a thick liquid. The substance was dark and she didn't need to see it to know it was blood as she quickly pulled herself to her shaky feet.

"They are coming for you Raven." The little girl said with a sinister chill to her voice.

"Who?" Raven whispered in fear, moving even further into the shadows.

"Them."

As soon the words left the little girls mouth, three sets of hands crept out of the shadows and wrapped themselves around her arms, legs and neck. One covered her mouth, muffling her cry for help as They viciously pulled her into the shadows.

She suddenly woke up with a loud cry as she could still feel their icy grip and sharp nails digging into her flesh. She swiftly swung her covers off her bare legs to find nothing there. Robin who was fast asleep awoke abruptly to the sound of Raven's scream.

"Holy shit, Raven what's wrong?"

Raven took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, realizing it was all a very vivid nightmare. Still, she couldn't help but feel violated at the images that burned themselves into her mind and the sensation of finger nails dragging across her skin.

"I had a nightmare."

In a daze the girl got out of bed, her eyes wide with fear and discomfort. Robin watched her with worry as she robotically moved toward the bathroom.

"Raven what are you doing?"

"Taking a shower."

"But it's three in the morning?"

"Don't remind me." She growled lightly entering the bathroom and locked the door.

She took a deep breath and pulled off her black tank top before turning on the shower. Once the water was to her liking she stepped into the shower and let the water run over her body in an attempt to wash away the feelings of sin and violation.

As the water ran down her skin she suddenly felt a sharp sting radiate from her inner thigh. Wincing she looked down to find a long scratch along the interior surface of her thigh. It appeared to be fresh and quite deep, looking more like it had been carved into her delicate flesh. Gently she placed her fingertips on the unsightly abrasion for further examination, wondering where it could've come from.

While Raven found herself trying to conquer this mystery, Robin was pouring his best efforts into trying to fall back to sleep. Though as hard as he tried, the excitement of his girlfriend's sudden outburst proved too strong a muse. Still, he forced his eyes closed, hoping sleep would find him, but then he heard something. Opening one eye, he questioned the noise. It was the sound of a strange movement coming from the wall behind him. Slowly, he pulled himself up, staring at the wall for answers. He soon rose to his feet and approached the wall, the room still dark around him. Whatever it was lay hidden beyond the drywall and dark purple paint before him. With this discovery Robin placed his hear to the cool surface where he heard a wretched scratching from within its bounds. The grinding being so harsh his features showed a look of revolution and shuddered at the sound.

Just then he heard the door fly open as Raven emerged from the bathroom. "You really need to cut your nails." The girl said in a cynical tone, looking over at Robin who had his ear against the wall. "What are you doing?"

"I think we have mice."

"Yeah his name's Beast Boy, I'll call the exterminator."

"No, for real. I hear scratching in the wall."

Raven turned puzzled and uneasy, flicking on the light. "Did you say scratching in the wall?"

"Yeah, but it's stopped. I'll talk to Cye when he wakes up."

Raven nodded and took a seat on the bed while Robin got dressed, mentioning he was going for an "early" morning workout.

"And by the way my nails are trimmed." He added, leaning in and giving Raven a quick kiss and left the room.

After he left, she sighed and looked down at her thigh again. Deep down she knew she was only trying to make sense of something she didn't yet understand. In frustration she combed her fingers through her damp hair and slipped off her black robe to get dressed. Not wanting to attract any attention to her cut, she pulled on a pair of black jeans and a loose sweater that fell off her right shoulder a bit. She knew by not wearing her uniform she would be subjected to numerous questions, but at least she had answers for those.

After getting dressed she took a seat at her desk and picked up where she left off. Looking through the old book, she began reading anything that referenced to a box or black eyed children. She didn't find much about either, just a few things about cursed boxes and a few more stories about child spirits, but nothing seemed to fit right. She knew that it was possible the box was cursed, but the object in question didn't quite fit the description. There was nothing about strange writing or the box being nailed shut. If anything it strangely reminded her of an _nganga_. A powerful objected capable of great evil used in the Palo religion. The object's purpose is to entrap a sprite so one may harness it's power for their bidding such as revenge or fortune. And where a nganga is used for black magic it is a commonly feared object among those who believe in it.

However, an nganga is made of an iron or steel cauldron or pot and is normally wrapped in chains and pad locks. Inside you'd find an assortment of dried blood, black feather, metal spikes, knives and other strange things that are meant to keep a powerful sprite at bay for eternity. Still there was one thing the two objects had in common, once closed, they were never to be opened. This thought only drove Raven's fear that whatever was in the box was evil. Why else would someone go through the trouble to nail it shut and carve those strange words into it?

After a few hours of more dead end reading, Raven put off the search for a well needed cup of tea. She entered the main room and found almost everyone present except Terra. After putting her water on she turned to find Starfire looking exhausted and Beast Boy practically falling asleep in his tofu.

"Is everyone ok?"

"Yes, friend Raven, I just had a terrible slumber." Starfire replied.

"Yeah me too, I spent most of the night taking care of Terra. I didn't know a girl could puke so much."

"Well I just lost my appetite." Raven replied in a graveled voice as she poured her tea and took a seat next to Robin. "So Terra's still sick?"

"Yeah, she was up most of the night. She finally fell asleep around 3 o'clock. Thank god."

 _3 o'clock?_ Raven thought and furrowed her brow. Before she could ask the green boy anymore questions, she heard Cyborg's voice command everyone's attention.

"So did anyone hear an odd scratching noise last night?"

Raven noticed Starfire flinch at the question, but remained silent.

Robin however, lifted his head from his newspaper to acknowledge the robotic man, "Yeah I heard that, we may have a mouse problem."

"That's what I thought, I'll get right on it after breakfast."

Raven kept quiet, even though her suspicions were strong, she didn't want to alarm anyone until she had more answers. A few moments went by as Robin and Cyborg continued their conversation of the possible infestation when Cyborg noticed a missed call on the monitor and went to retrieve the message. Once the mechanical man vanished, Robin turned his attention to Raven who was staring off into space which he found unusual for her.

"So Raven, you figure out anything about that box?" He asked causing a spark of interest in the two other worn Titans.

"No, not really. So far none of my books have any information on it. I don't even know what langue it's written in."

"You looked pretty sure of what it was yesterday." Beast boy said with question in his voice. "So you must have some idea."

Raven felt a hint of frustration at Beast Boy's statement. She often wondered how someone as unfocused as Garfield Logan could notice such things. But before Raven could respond, Cyborg entered the room again with his face as pale as death. His four teammates looked up at him with worry as he struggled to find the words he was intent to deliver.

"Cyborg what's wrong?" Robin asked placing down his paper and rising up from his chair.

The mechanical man looked at him with disbelief in his eyes as his lips began to move to deliver the words that none of the Titans would ever forget, "It's Jinx, she's… dead."


	4. 9

Standing bewildered in the moment, her eyes traveled, taking sight of the weeping faces dressed in black around her. The sound of shed tears and last goodbyes lingered in the air like a ghost, haunting and unmoving. _This truly is the end,_ she thought, trying to keep her stoic façade strong. Her eyes fell on her fellow teammates. They were all shaken by the loss and had become distant since they received the news of their fallen friend.

Raven could recall that sickening moment when she first stepped into the apartment. The images of crime scene tape and policemen looking through her friend's things was disturbing and hard to swallow. For a moment the whole world went quiet and everything moved in slow motion. Raven wasn't sure if she could keep her emotions under control as she looked helplessly on at the scene in front of her. A slight panic had begun to set in and her breath tightened. Something wasn't right and she could feel it the air, and worse, behind her. Before she could turn to see if there was indeed anything there she felt a hand wrap around hers and squeeze lightly.

"I'm here Raven, you're not alone," a sturdy voice said pulling her back to reality (or at least the one she belonged in).

She looked over to see masked eyes peering in her direction beside her. She didn't need to see them to know that Robin was undoubtedly trying to comfort her. However, it still couldn't mend the tear that was now permanently imbedded in her life.

Finally, after a few minutes, a tall man dressed in a dark gray trench coat approached them. "Hello, I'm Detective O'Brien."

"Robin." The two shook hands as Robin proceeded to introduce the rest of the team.

While this was taking place, Raven looked at the detective from under her hood, keeping her face hidden. She noticed he was quite old for a detective and possibly even over retirement age. His face bore deep wrinkles in his leathery skin and his white hair was thin through the top.

"And who might this young lady be?" The old man questioned.

"Oh, this is Raven."

"I'm sorry we have to meet on such circumstances miss." He said holding his hand out to her. "You two were close weren't you?"

"I guess," Raven shrugged, keeping her answer short. "What happened?"

"That's the thing, we're not really sure."

Detective O'Brien went on to explain that upon the coroner's report there were no clear signs as to cause of death. This, the Titans couldn't believe. There had to be something to indicate what the possible cause of death could have been.

"There has to be something." Cyborg said.

"Well, the coroner has requested an autopsy so we should find something there."

"So then if you guys have no idea what killed her, then why is there so much… blood?" Beast Boy asked nervously.

"Because she had multiple abrasions on her hands."

"From what?" Raven demanded.

"From the angles and shape of the wounds, we think they were self-inflicted."

"Self-inflicted?" 

"Yes," the detective replied, "We also found tissue under her fingernails."

"So you might have a lead to a suspect?" Robin said, hoping that DNA could be extracted from the tissue sample.

Detective O'Brien took a deep breath and looked at the group of young heroes in front of him, knowing they would hate his answer. "No, we are almost positive the tissue we found belongs to you're friend. We are just waiting for test results at this point."

"So you're saying Jinx clawed her own hands up?" Raven spat in a dry voice.

The detective immediately stopped talking and looked at the hooded girl who was shooting him daggers, but he could only reply with the truth. "Yes."

"I wanna see her body."

"Raven?" Robin questioned as the rest of the team looked in her direction confused and disturbed.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that…"

"You will." The dark girl didn't say anything more. She just looked at the detective through smoldering eyes and waited for his reply.

"Fine, but don't touch anything."

Raven nodded. She knew he would comply, it was difficult not to. Ever sense the defeat of her father, Raven had begun to harbor new abilities and this was one of them. She found that if she concentrated enough, and put enough emotion behind it she could control the will of others. It was something she didn't have quite down to a science, but she could easily get people to agree to simple things--almost like a little mind trick.

Raven got up to follow the detective when a voice called out from behind them. "No Raven." She turned to find not her boyfriend, but her leader standing behind her.

"I'm going Robin."

"As your leader I can't allow you to go in there alone." Robin said firmly.

"Then you better come with me." Her voice was more assertive this time, making everyone pull back in a bit of fear.

However, before Robin knew, it he was standing in the doorway looking in at the crime scene itself. Now it wasn't that neither him nor any of the Titans hadn't seen a dead body before, they'd just never seen anything like this.

Jinx lay lifeless in her bed with her pale pink eyes staring aimlessly to the right, her sheets stained in blood and above her head on the wall, a message for the living to read.

 _"Don't let Them in?"_ Raven read aloud causing chills to run up both there spines'.

Raven looked down at the girls hands that where cover in dried blood, noticing the deep scratches that bore into her flesh. For a minute she found herself fighting to choke down her disgust and sorrow, regretting her decision to see such a sight. Robin, however, turned his head and refused to look in the dead girl's direction, leaning on the doorway for support.

"Yes we think she wrote that. Do you have any idea what it means?" Detective O'Brien said approaching the body.

"No. What did you say her time of death was?"

"10:08 pm."

Raven turned sharply to face the detective as Robin looked over confused. "That's impossible I spoke to her last night around twelve."

"Well you must be mistaken. We may not know much about her death, but we have time of death."

"No, I was there when she called her. It was a little after midnight." Robin added with a look of concern.

"Listen I don't have to be doing this with you two. I don't even know why I am. So you can either listen to the facts or get the hell out."

"Alright, what else do you have?" Raven said in agreement.

"But, Raven?"

Raven shot Robin a look to comply and he remained quiet.

"Really, all we have is that. There was no forced entry, no sign of rape. There doesn't seem to be any drugs in her system, and no fatal injury or blunt force trauma."

"Could she have bled to death?" Raven asked approaching the bed.

"No, that's what we thought at first, but with the amount of blood, it's extremely unlikely. We did, however, find this." Detective O'Brien then pulled up Jinx's shirt sleeve and revealed an assortment of marks.

"Are those… burns?" Raven asked as the detective nodded.

 _"18 will become 9?"_ He said releasing the girls arm.

"Did you just say _9_?" Raven asked, bewildered.

"Yes, _'18 will become 9,'_ I don't really know what to make of it."

Raven shuddered, causing Robin to notice her become even more uncomfortable and moved toward her.

"You know what it means don't you." The detective inquired. "What is it?"

"It's numerology. 1+8=9."

"And what does 9 mean to you?"

Raven hesitated, she knew what it meant, but feared revealing it for personal reasons. One, because she knew that to the wrong person it would sound crazy, and two, to the right person it was far too intriguing.

"9 is a symbolic number and to some it's associated with demons in some circles of religion and demonology."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's a derivative of the number 3 which is both a divine and demonic number. The number 3 is considered a perfect number in some cultures and is known as the number of man. It's also used heavily in many religions as a number of symbolic value, especially in Christianity. Specifically the Holy Trinity and because of 777 consisting of 3 digits. However, in the world of demonology 3 O'clock in the morning is considered the Devil's hour to make a mockery of the number and everything it symbolizes. The number is also present in six hundred and sixty-six because it also consists of 3 digits."

"My parents believed if you heard three knocks in your home that a loved one was going to die." Robin added from the doorway then looked at Raven with a shrug. "Thought it furthered your point."

"That's all well and good, but how does that tie into 9?" The detective ask still confused.

"When you add the three sets of six together you get 18"

"Which becomes 9." Robin said from the doorway."

"Not to mention 3 sets of 3 equal 9." Raven added.

"So what are you saying, this is something demonic?" The detective asked in a harsh voice.

"No. I'm telling you what you asked me to. I never said this was a theory." Raven spat.

"Well you still haven't explained what the number 9 means."

"It's represents the end." Raven said turning around and walking out the door past Robin.

She walk down the hall and through the living room, passing her teammates without even a look. She left the apartment and made her way out of the building where she was finally able to breakdown. Her emotions ran free as hot tears burned her eyes and rushed down her face. She let herself lean on the brick wall for support, hoping that in a few minutes she would have the strength to gather herself. She couldn't believe Jinx was gone and she couldn't understand why. Yet part of her knew that whatever it was, it was evil and it was possibly even coming for her.

Suddenly she felt a hand wrap around her shoulder, causing her to jump. She spun around to find it was only Robin who looked very concerned. "Oh god, Robin you scarred the hell outa me!"

"I'm sorry Raven. Is everything alright?"

She took a deep breath and tried to settle herself, wiping away her tears and said, "Well our friend's gone and I don't know how to explain it."

Robin sighed and looked down; he knew no matter how big of a front she put up she was taking the loss hard. Jinx and Raven my not had always seen eye to eye, but they did have a mutual respect for one another. In all honesty, Robin knew that when it came to some secrets, Raven trusted Jinx more than some of her own teammates.

"Robin… _Richard,"_ she whispered so none could hear, "I'm sorry this is just too much to take in right now."

Robin wrapped his arms around the shaken girl. He still had many questions for her, but knew they were best left unsaid for the moment. "I know, Raven, I understand. _Let's go home."_

_"Raven… Raven? Raven!"_

"What?" She turned her head to find her teammates all looking at her questionably.

"Let's go home." Robin said, apparently repeating himself. He held out his hand offering support to Raven, but she refused to take it (though she admittedly wanted to).

The rest of the funeral party had already left, leaving her only among her fellow Titans. In the week since Jinx's death Robin had become more buried in his work while Cyborg seemed to spend even more time in the garage, keeping himself as distracted as possible. Beast Boy spent most of the day (and night) taking care of Terra who was still suffering from an unknown ailment. She'd become quite weak and frail, but the Titans couldn't find anything medically wrong with her. She hardly ever left her room anymore and had gotten to the point that even Raven became concerned. When she did leave her room it was usually late at night after sleeping most of the day. Her skin was becoming sickly pale and this was only more noticeable by the dark circles forming under her eyes.

As for Starfire, she'd become extremely depressed and very needy to the point she actually slept in Raven's room for two nights. She too was becoming less and less like herself, spending most of her time indoors and hardly touching her garden. At first Raven hardly noticed the odd behavior from her friends, mostly because a comrade had died and like her, they were all grieving. But when their melancholy became even more consuming than her own, she began to worry. Not just because of the odd behavior taking place around her, but odd occurrences had become quite common as well.

To start, the possible mice infestation Cyborg and Robin believed to be causing the unsettling scratching noise was proven incorrect. After checking every crack, corner and wall, there was no sign of vermin living within the towers walls, at least not recently. However, this didn't mean the scratching ceased. If anything, it became even more over powering and only happened at night. It even got to the point where Starfire said she could feel the scratching in her mattress. Still as hard as Cyborg looked he couldn't find any logical answers.

However, just because they didn't have a mice infestation didn't mean they weren't infested. Within the week, there seemed to be an unusual amount of flies and beetles taking up residence in Titans Tower. The strange part was, no one could figure out where they were coming from. It never seemed to matter how clean they kept the tower, or how many they killed, they just kept coming. Also they seemed to vanish just as quickly as they came.

Another odd thing Raven seemed to notice was that she continued to wake up with strange cuts on her body. She always found one or two carved along the surface of her hips, breasts and abdomen. Not only did she have no knowledge of where they came from, but she also couldn't heal them. This frightened her because she knew it meant that something quite powerful was trying to dig its way into her, and the marks were it's physical manifestation. Whatever was hurting her was trying to not only feed off of her, but claim her. This realization disturbed her to the point that she hated getting undressed and having to look at them. They made her feel venerable and weak to the point she even pushed Robin away. He'd noticed the one on her thigh one night while she changed her cloths. He of course asked her about it and where she'd gotten it. Raven wasn't really sure what to tell him except that she thought it happened during a training session. Robin, however, didn't believe her and insisted she tell him the truth.

To which she only replied, "I would tell you the truth if I knew it myself."

Robin found the answer troubling. He knew there was something she wasn't telling him, but refrained from digging up answers until after Jinx was buried.

Still, the Titans as a unit were seemingly falling apart. They had all become quite irritable and even aggressive toward one another at times. The only one who seemed to be somewhat unaffected by this atmosphere was Beast Boy who'd become more passive in nature. He no longer fought with Cyborg over breakfast or even tried to get a rise out of Raven. He just spent his time caring for a slowly deteriorating Terra, who'd developed a few peculiar character traits of her own. One of which was sleepwalking.

It first started the night After Jinx died. Raven was having a hard time falling asleep that night and decided to watch TV in the main room to keep her mind occupied for once. Robin was taking a break from his work and decided he didn't want to leave Raven alone since she'd finally come out of her room that day. The two sat quietly on the couch watching some ridiculous show she couldn't recall the name of, when they heard a crash.

The two both looked at each other a little nervous, but pulled their courage together and went to investigate. As soon as they began to approach the hallway they heard a loud thud echoing down the long hallway. It was soon followed by another and preceded every three seconds or so. The two birds followed the sound until they found a dark silhouette standing at Raven's door.

"Is that Terra?" Raven asked slowly approaching the figure with Robin by her side.

"Yeah, what is she doing?"

"She's hitting her head against my door?"

"Is she even awake?" Robin questioned as they watched the girl repeatedly hit her head against the door. "Terra can you hear me?" Robin asked getting no response.

"She must be sleepwalking. Be careful not to wake her." Raven added.

Once Robin was at her side, he slowly wrapped his hands around her shoulders and pulled her back. Carefully guiding her thin frame away from the door so that she could no longer cause herself injury.

"Hey Raven, help me get her back to bed."

Raven nodded and helped Robin bring Terra back to her room. When they got there they found Beast Boy fast asleep in an arm chair across from Terra's bed. It was obvious he was exhausted from looking after her day and night and it would've taken an earthquake to wake him. The two slowly and carefully put the young blond back in her bed. As Raven was doing so she noticed a large amount of bruising on her lower back after her tank top had risen up. Robin apparently didn't see it as he was debating on whether to wake Beast Boy or leave him in the chair for the night.

"If you wake him he'll just worry about Terra. Let him sleep." Raven said placing her hand on the girl's back trying to heal the unsightly bruises.

However, as hard as she tried she made little progress. If anything she felt like Terra was resisting her aid, or even worse, something was fighting her off. She finally gave up and accepted her defeat after telling Robin she was going to bed, suggesting he turn in as well. Once she heard him make his way to his room she approached a sleeping Beast Boy. She soon encased him in her black energy and teleported him back to his room. She knew something wasn't right and she would have never forgiven herself if anything happened to him or any of her teammates for that matter. She soon found herself once again reading while Starfire slept soundly beside her in her bed.

Since then, Terra had continued her sleep walking episodes and they seemed to be getting progressively creepier each time. It was becoming quite common for Raven to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of Terra slamming her head against her door. But what was really beginning to alarm her was that Terra began doing this at 3 O'clock. On top of this strange occurrence, Raven also found that each time she found Terra, something even odder would occur. Including finding the young blonde in her room the last two nights.

The first night she found her just standing in her open doorway with her head down and her hair hanging lifeless around her face. Her black silhouette created a haunting image as she stood dressed in a white nightgown against the light of the hallway. Raven even found herself nervous to approach the young girl, but did so with caution. And guided her her back to her room where she once again helped her to bed.

The second night was a bit more unsettling considering that Raven decided to lock her door in hopes of avoiding another intrusion. However, she once again awoke at 3 O'clock to find Terra had indeed made her way into her room. But this time was by far the most frightening in her option. She'd awoken from another one of her recurring nightmares of black eyed children. The same one she had after her last conversation with Jinx. But this time before she was dragged away by the crippling hands that left her with a grotesque feeling, something unexpected happened. The bone chilling child no longer stood before her. Instead a young woman with deathfuly white skin and a look of decay lingering in her eyes now looked back at her. At first she didn't recognize the figure in front of her as her features were too consumed in death to be clear in the dark cellar. It wasn't until the girl began to speak that she realized who she was looking at.

"Raven she let Them in." The voice spoke in a dull whisper.

"Jinx! Is that you?" Raven called to the shadowy figure.

"You have to go back Raven."

"Go back where?"

"To where the water is black and the time never moves passed 3 O'clock. Where 18 became 9."

"Jinx, I don't know where that is. You have to tell me." Raven said in a panic.

"Fate will bring you and Raven, one last thing."

"What?"

"They are above you."

Raven opened her eyes to find a blurry vision of a girl standing over her, looking down and immediately screamed. For a moment she didn't dare move, not sure if what she was seeing was a dream or just her imagination. Then she felt a few drops of a warm, dark liquid land on her face. The thick liquid ran slowly down her cheekbone, lingering as it went. Before she could react any further she heard a slamming at her door.

"Raven! Are you alright? Raven open the door, it's locked! Raven!" She heard Robin cry in a panic.

She found herself still too frightened to move, but finally gathered herself enough to wave her hand and free the lock. She soon found both Robin and Cyborg charging into her room.

"Raven, what's the… Why is Terra in your room and why are you covered in blood?"

Before Raven could answer, Terra turned to face the two boys with blood running heavily from her nose and down her face. She was clearly in a state of unconsciousness, but the two heroes still found the sight disturbing enough to pull back in disgust. Raven had now found the strength to exhale and pulled herself to her knees, fear still present on her face.

"Oh, God Terra." Cyborg sighed.

"Raven, why is Terra in here with you?"

"I don't know, Robin, I don't even know how she got in here, I locked the door." Raven hissed in frustration.

It was at this moment the green changeling entered the room and caught sight of all the commotion. "Terra," he gasped and ran to her side. "What happened?"

"Terra broke into Raven's room again."

"Oh. Raven, you um… have something on your face..." Beast Boy said in a tired voice.

Raven took her fingers and wiped some of the sticky substance off her face. She looked down at her finger tips to see them covered in a dark crimson. She immediately became revolted and quickly pushed herself off her bed and without a words moved passed the boys and bleeding girl. She stopped once she reached the bathroom doorway and turned to face the four Titans and said, "Get the hell out of my room." Then with a quick swing, locked herself in with a slam.

"Raven, what are you doing?"

"Get out Robin." She hissed as the sound of rushing water began to ricochet off the tile.

Everyone else followed her order and left, all except Robin who still standing at her bathroom door.

"Raven, I know something is wrong around here. I know it because I can see it and more importantly, I feel it, and I know you do to. I've been waiting until after we burry Jinx to ask you all the hard questions and that's what I still intend to do. But tomorrow, expect by days end to start giving me answers."

"Keep Terra out of my room, or I promise you, Jinx won't be the only Titan we bury." Raven said holding back her tears.

Robin couldn't bring himself to respond to her brashness. He knew that whatever was going on was affecting her negatively. Among Raven's many demons she often found truth to be one of her biggest opponents. Mostly because she felt truth was never really on her side. Still it hurt to know whatever it was, she didn't feel that she could confide in him. Robin bowed his head, heavy with his wounded pride, and slowly withdrew from the door.

Now the Titans took their long walk home with silence heavy in the air around them. Leaving little room for comfort and unity as they walked, fractured and brittle. The tension between them was almost suffocating to the point the weight of it was hard to bare.

When they finally got back to the tower, Raven immediately ran to her room to avoid having to make small talk with her fellow teammates. However, as soon as she went to close the door, she felt someone intercept it. She turned to find Robin standing in her doorway, a look of inquiry on his face.

"I don't want to talk about this right now." She sighed in frustration.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not the end of the day yet." She followed her dry insult with a strong slam, securing the door shut. She knew the gesture was insulting and cruel, but he did say she had till days end. And for whatever reason she felt the need to wait.

Once the door was locked, Raven let her last bit of strength break as she slid down her door with an empty darkness. Tears once again fell to no audience and she let herself weaken with remorse. She knew she needed to tell Robin all she feared, but she had no real answers to give him.

Later that day, she found herself looking to yet another book for answers, but found little reward. In the past week she'd researched everything from curses to infestations. She'd become convinced that the tower was indeed harboring some sort of entity, but she knew she needed more than that. She needed to know what it was, what it was doing and where it came from. She had a strong suspicion that it must've been attached to box somehow, but it was only a suspicion.

She'd also looked up everything and anything that even referenced blacked eyed children, but with little to no luck. All she really found of them came from a few questionable websites. They mostly told of small children with black eyes and pale skin turning up on people's doorsteps asking permission to enter their homes. Almost all of the stories mentioned the children being very _un-childlike_ and _extremely_ persistent on entering. She noticed in all accounts the children appeared to need permission to gain entry and became quite frustrated when denied. This reminded her of old vampire fables where they needed an invitation before they could cross the threshold of their victim's home. She also recalled another entity that needed permission to infest the lives of its victims, demons.

Now most people would say that they'd never think of inviting something so heinous in their lives, but the thing about demons is they don't need a formal invitation. It doesn't take much, in fact you may not even know you're doing it till it's done. Demons often use deceit to gain access, including pretending to be a deceased loved one or a harmless spirit, playing off other's emotions. This was something Raven knew too well. She herself found it tempting at times to toy with other's empathy (though she wasn't sure which half craved it more.) However, she locked those distasteful urges away, much like the box she hid in her closet.

Raven could feel her demonic nature begin to shift as she thought of her darker half. It was something she fought hard to repress and keep hidden, but every now and then it would find its way into the light. Sometimes she'd even entertain the idea that maybe it was her infesting her friend's lives. They had technically invited her in. Raven, however, quickly dismissed the notion due to the fact that a demons prerogative is to inflect pain and destroy as much of God's creation as possible. And as far as Raven was concerned, she had no taste for such a thing.

Her thoughts once again drifted back to the black eyed children. All the stories she's read came from people who'd refused them entry. Remarkably there were no stories from anyone who allowed the children inside. So the real question was, what happened if you did?

A loud slam at Raven's door quickly forced her attention away from the thought. She looked over at her door and noticed the time 11:25 pm. She sighed and pushed herself off her bed to answer it. She figured it would be Robin who'd been waiting patiently for the answers he was so desperately seeking. Once she reached the doorway she took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

"What you couldn't wait another thirty-five minutes Boy Blunder…?" Raven said sarcastically, but paused when she found her doorway vacant.

In confusion she stepped out into the empty hallway with caution, hoping someone (namely Beast Boy) was just trying to play a trick on her. (Though it seemed in bad taste, even for him.) Raven slowly moved down the hallway and called out to her friends who were nowhere in sight. The only response she received was the sound of her own voice echoing back at her.

When she reached the main room she found it cold and empty, but a faint sound could be heard coming from behind the couch. At first she didn't know what to make of it, but as she got closer it became clearer. It was a sickening grinding that resembled the scratching they heard in the walls. However this had more of a metallic nature to it as though something metal was being ground into a wooden surface. It was also quick and not as drawn out as scratching, which seemed to linger even when it fell silent.

Raven became even more uneasy, still slowly approaching the source of the sound. A horrid smell soon over took her, resembling the scent of decay and rotting flesh. She found it absolutely revolting and covered her nose and mouth, trying her best to shield her senses from the powerful odder. Once she rounded the corner she saw a figure hunched over, draped in a grey nightgown. At the sight Raven paused, looking curiously at the figure who she soon realized was Terra. It appeared the girl had some sort of metal object in her hand and was cutting into the floor.

"Terra, what are you doing?" Raven said fighting the urge to be sick. Terra remained silent and didn't even acknowledge Raven's question. "Terra? If you are tearing up the carpet you need to stop." Raven continued as she approached the selectively deaf girl. "Terra, I said stop!"

Raven placed her hand on the girls shoulder and before she knew it, she shot around and slashed out at her with a sharp knife. Raven quickly cried out and gripped the lateral side of her of her upper arm, feeling the swift sting of her flesh being sliced into. Taken off guard, she stumbled back to get away and tripped over her own feet. She crashed to the floor with a thud and looked up to see Terra standing over her, knife still in hand over her head. Raven tried to reacted, but found herself paralyzed as Terra looked down at her, getting ready to cut into her delicate flesh again.

"You're gonna pay for that, Witch." Terra grunted in a horrible voice.

Raven's eyes went wide as out of nowhere she saw a gloved hand wrap around Terra's wrist and twist it behind her back.

"Robin." She whispered, feeling herself being released from the hold she was under.

She watched as Robin tackled the girl down which didn't take much effort on his part. Whatever had taken over Terra had subsided, letting the frightened girl surface just in time for the tears to start flowing. Raven looked on as Terra wrapped her arms around her fearless leader and began to sob. A confused Robin slowly let his attack on the girl cease, mostly out of confusion and placed his hand on her head.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." She cried as Cyborg and Beast Boy entered the room.

They both looked over to see Raven still on the ground, propped up on her elbows, while Robin held the seemingly weak girl.

"What happened here?" Cyborg asked and ran over to helped a shocked Raven to her feet.

"She attacked me!" Terra cried, falling to the floor.

"What?" Raven hissed in shocked.

"Raven, is that true?" Robin asked, still heavily lost in confusion.

"No! that crazy bitch attacked me!" She exclaimed. "She even came at me with a knife, look!" Raven pointed to the place just under her deltoid where Terra had swiftly cut her.

"There's nothing there Raven." Beast Boy stated questionably.

"No she cut me, I swear! Ask Robin, he saw she had a knife!"

All eyes fell on Robin who was still trying to console a traumatized Terra. "Raven, I thought I saw one, but I don't see one now?"

Raven looked around at her teammates, all wearing questioning looks, especially Robin who seemed to have found himself caught in the middle.

"Terra what happened? Did Raven attack you?" Beast Boy asked approaching the sobbing girl.

"Yes, she hit me." She said, turning her head away from Robin's chest, revealing a dark bruise on her right cheek. "And then she tried to choke me." Sobbing, she lifted her head up and ran her fingers along the hand shaped bruises.

Both Robin and Beast Boy looked shocked as they were not expecting the confrontation between the girls to have been so violent.

The crying girl looked up at the two boys like a sad fox, "I only fought back to defend myself, I swear."

"Raven, how could you?" Beast Boy exclaimed.

"I didn't, she's lying!"

"No, you're lying! Now tell me why'd you attack Terra!" The green boy demanded.

"Because I called her a witch." Terra said in a soft, almost vacant voice.

Raven could feel her eyes began to smolder and tried to approach Terra, but Cyborg held her back. Terra of course burrowed herself into Robin's chest again as Beast Boy stood ready to protect the girl he loved.

"Seriously Raven, you haven't been yourself ever since that box showed up." Beast Boy sneered.

Raven paused as the words hit her and realized that she'd walked right into a trap. The objective was to make her look unstable, causing her friends to alienate her and it did just that. Never in the years she'd known them had she even been this at odds with them and now they stood divided against her.

"I thought we were friends, Raven?" Terra said weakly looking in her direction.

"You little bitch! How can you say that?" The raven girl growled. "You betrayed us more times than could ever be forgiven, yet here you are. The irony is even after all of it, I'm the one on trial."

"Stop it Raven. I heard you this morning; you said if I didn't stay out of your space that Jinx wouldn't be the only Titan we'd bury!"

"Believe me Terra, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead." Raven said through grit teeth and anger burning in her eyes.

"Raven, stop talking." Robin said in a stern, but calm voice.

Raven felt her heart sink into the lowest pit of her stomach. She couldn't handle the thought of the man she loved choosing a traitor over her. Her heart sank even more when she saw Starfire venture into the room from the dark hallway. Her eyes coursing with confusion and her face heavy with question, unsure why her friends were in shambles.

Robin led Terra to Beast Boy's arms then went to retrieve Raven from Cyborg. "Come on Raven, we're leaving." He said taking hold of the girl's hand.

"Wait, she beat the crap out of Terra and she's leaving. What kind of punishment is that?" Beast Boy exclaimed in disapproval.

"I'll handle this myself, Beast Boy."

"No, Raven needs to be punished for what she did! She could've killed Terra!"

"If Raven did what Terra said she did, it had to have been for good reason Beast Boy, you know that!" Robin yelled losing his calm demeanor.

"Of course you would say that, wouldn't you Robin." Terra whimpered.

"Why does friend Terra say that?" Starfire questioned from the stairs.

Terra smiled and shook her head. "Why don't you ask your best friend Raven what I meant. After all she has been screwing Bird Boy for over a year now. Haven't you Rae?"

Starfire looked down at her violet haired friend and looked into her amethyst eyes where she saw the betrayal reflecting itself. Raven could see the tears began to form and

Raven's heart broke in response. "Star, I'm sorry." She pleaded.

"No Raven, I am the one who is sorry. I placed trust in you and I was mistaken to do so." The heart broken girl turned away and stormed out with tears streaming down her face.

"Star wait, please Star… I'm sorry."

"Come on, Raven we're going." Robin said pulling her by the hand.

"But what about Starfire?"

"Raven, I don't think she wants to talk to either one of us right now."

Raven felt the warm tears began to fall from her eyes as she was led away by her masked boyfriend.

"Robin wait! You can't just take Raven and leave. Not until we get this straightened out." Cyborg called.

"Raven go outside."

"But Robin?"

"I said go, Raven!"

She nodded a bit frightened. He'd never raised his voice like that to her before, but emotions were high and she knew he was only trying to protect her. She looked at her teammates one last time, then turned and ran to the main entry.

"For real Robin, you're just gonna let Raven get away with this?" Beast Boy said furrowing his brow.

"No, I'm going to get to the bottom of it, but I can't do it here."

"Robin, she lied to us, badly may I remind you. She even threatened to kill Terra."

"Yeah, and don't you think Raven is smart enough to come up with a better plan that didn't make her look so guilty?"

"So what, as long as Raven is sleeping with you she can get away with whatever she wants."

"No, Beast Boy, I love her and I'll do anything to protect her. I thought of all people you would understand that." Robin said before turning and running out after Raven.

The other two Titans looked on, unsure of what to say. Beast Boy looked down at Terra and held her tight, feeling dejected by Robin's words. It seemed betrayal had clearly prevailed, leaving only broken pieces scattered along the floor around them. It didn't matter if they fixed the trust that lay shattered at their feet, because they'd always see the cracks in each other's reflections.

Cyborg found himself confused and bewildered by the sights that took place in front of him. Deep down he knew that Raven and Robin loved each other; it was hard not to see, (unless you made yourself blind to it like Starfire did). But he knew that didn't excuse them form hiding it and it certainly didn't excuse Raven's behavior toward her teammates. However, Cyborg knew that Robin had a point. Raven would have been smart enough not to get caught and more importantly, she would have never done such a thing in the first place.

The Robotic man looked down at the floor when he saw something unusual catch his eye. Beast Boy was trying to console Terra when he heard the mechanical man's voice say, "What the hell is this?"

He held up an old wooden board that bore words and letters on its face. Dry blood still remained on its surface and a large 9 had been carved deep into the wood.

Beast Boy looked at the board with a regretful recognition. He'd almost forgotten about it and wasn't really sure what to say, but the truth. But before he could speak he was cut off by Terra. 

"Ask Raven." She freed herself from her lover's grip and walked toward the hallway with Beast Boy following close behind.


	5. A Brush With Death

Raven ran out of the tower into the dark of the night. The waves could be heard crashing against the shore as they left the scent of salt present in the air. Raven finally found herself able to breath in what felt like a lifetime. She walked down to the waterfront and knelt down at the edge, where it pooled. She placed her hands in the cool water and cupped them, splashing the entrapped liquid on her face. Exhaling, she let her body relax and opened her eyes. A pale girl looked back at her wide eyed and frightened. Her deep violet eyes still present with shock as the moon stood still behind her weary head. Again, she closed her eyes and let her head fall feeling defeated and dejected.

When she opened her eyes she found a new refection looking back at her from over her shoulder. She turned startled, but found it was only Robin and wrapped her arms around him. He held her close for a moment and kissed her neck in a consoling and possessive manner.

"Raven, we have to get out of here," he said exhaling a deep breath.

"Robin, what are we doing?"

"I don't really know Rae, I just know we can't stay here right now. Not until we get this mess straightened out," Robin said confused, holding back his panic. "Raven what happened?"

Raven pulled back unsure of what to say. She'd already told the truth, but she realized now it made her look guilty. It reminded her of a quote she'd heard from a poet named Rozz Williams. He once said that, _"all truth was parallel; all truth was untrue."_ It was something she'd always understood, knowing that truth can be manipulated to its suitors needs and its merits could only be measured by the tongue that hove it. To some, truth is an opinion and t others, it's fact. She'd always found herself at odds with the truth, even doing her damnedest to defy it on occasion. But now she found that once again truth was not on her side and the facts didn't support her.

"I…"

Before she could continue, suddenly a familiar beeping sounded off. Robin pulled out his communicator and flipped it open. "What is it, Cye?"

"Robin I know this isn't a good time, but we just got a call for a mission." Raven could see by the look on Robin's face the call couldn't have come at more inconvenient time. The team had little trust in one another and their focus was obviously missplaced. "And it gets worse, Robin, it's Slade."

Both Raven and Robin's faces fell even deeper in dismay. She knew Robin would rather pull it together and stumble through a mission than not show up at all, especially if it was some low level criminal. But Slade was a different matter. She knew Robin wouldn't stay away even if it was the best thing for him to do. If anyone were to get hurt or worse, he would never forgive himself. She knew he'd rather risk physical injury then have blood on his conscience.

"Ok, get Starfire and Beast Boy, we leave in five." Robin closed his communicator and placed it back in his pocket. "Raven I think it's best you sit this one out."

Raven looked away hurt and a little betrayed. Robin could see by the look in her eye how defeated she felt, but he couldn't risk having her fight alongside them. Not with the team having such little trust in her.

"Raven, please understand, it's the best thing for the team right now."

"You don't trust me, do you?"

Robin paused and took a deep breath unsure of how to respond. "No Raven, I trust you. I just don't really know if I can trust my judgment, if that makes any sense?"

Raven shook her head. She knew that feeling too well not to. "Yeah, I do."

"Listen Raven, while I'm on this mission, I want you to go to the safest place you can think of. When I've completed it, I'm going to call you, ok?" Robin said taking the young woman's face in his hands.

She shook her head in understanding and placed her hands on his forearms as a few stray tears fell from her eyes and said, "Ok, I will."

"Good, I don't even want you to tell me where you're going just go and I'll contact you alright?"

"Alright, Robin, please be careful. Please don't let Slade get the better of you."

She looked back at him to see him flinch at the request. She could feel his inner rage begin to boil as the thought of the infamous masked man plagued his mind. It wasn't the fact that Robin wanted her to sit out on the mission that bothered her. She could understand his reasoning and in time she would probably see it for the best. But the fact that it was Slade and he was in no mental state to face him brought her much worry.

"I will Raven, I promise. Now go, and Raven," he said in a soft voice before she turned away, "I love you." He kissed her one last time before letting her go from his grip.

"I love you too, Richard." Raven sighed after the two parted from the kiss.

She watched Robin pull away, moving quickly to join the others on their mission. Raven still stood by the shore line, looking out at the bay for a moment. Swallowing her fear, she turned her attention to the sky. She knew exactly where she was going and why. It was safe and silent, leaving little threat to the living.

Within minutes Robin found himself among what was left of his team and by the looks of it, it wasn't much. Starfire was not only livid with him, but her strength was heavily diminished from its normal capacity, making her far more frail than her usual self (not to mention her emotional stability was questionable at best.) Cyborg (though in good health) seemed to be confused and withdrawn as though his heart was just not in the fight. And Beast Boy, of course, was fuming with his decision, constantly questioning of his leadership skills and his loyalty.

"Ok team, I know we're not on the best of terms right now and we are down two Titans, but we can't let that get in the way of taking down Slade."

"Why, cause if we don't you'll feel like a crappy leader," Beast Boy snickered.

"Can it Beast Boy, this isn't about me! This is about protecting the city."

"Of course this is about you, it's Slade! And frankly, Dude, as our leader I don't know if I trust you."

"Nor I Robin," Starfire added in a defeated voice.

"Why? Because I wouldn't take Terra's word over Raven's or because I kept my personal relationship with her private?"

"No Robin! Because you lied to us, and you were just gonna walk away without an explanation!"

"Shut up, shut up!" Cyborg shouted. "I know the way everything was handled has clearly hurt us all, but Robin's right. For the mission, we need to pull it together and deal with the residual drama later. The city needs us."

For a moment everyone was silent. All eyes were on the mechanical man as he stood firm as the voice of reason. The Titans may have been a broken unit, but they needed to mend the cracks long enough to get through the fight and not show their weakness. If Slade even saw the cracks in their reflection, the battle would be lost. And Robin knew hiding such imperfection would most likely be impossible.

333

Before she knew it, Raven found herself before the heavy iron arches of the cemetery gate. Its tall pillars stood high under the arches of midnight and oak branches. The gate's freedom lay bound within a heavy steel chain and secured with a sturdy lock, denying all under the night sky from entering. Raven soon centered her stare on the old lock. Taking a moment to imagine how many times it had been unlocked over the years, seeing it serving its purpose day in and day out. A few moments passed and her concentration was broken when she heard a metallic _click_. The heavy lock had come undone and tumbled open to the ground below, taking the weathered chain with it.

Raven approached the rusty iron gate and pulled it open. Free from its bounds it opened with a long whine as its aged hinges awoke from their slumber. She entered the graveyard, walking among the stones and mausoleums. The moon hung high in the night above her, keeping watch over her like a child. All around her was silent, not a sound or thought could be heard. The dead lay sleeping in their dreamless slumber, leaving a sense of peace in the air. Something she'd not felt ever since the cursed box arrived.

Raven knew most people would find her nightly visit to the graveyard morbid and somewhat depressing. But the truth was she found it to be a peaceful place to think, especially for an empath. There is a misconception that a cemetery is a place of unrest where spirits reside and linger on. However this is not the case. When a person dies all that made them who they were is no longer attached to a physical body, that part of their being is over. Instead the sprites move on, no longer tethered to their bodies, making a graveyard as quiet as the dead.

It was the type of quiet Raven craved, not a soul could be heard for miles and no emotion could be felt, but her own. She stopped when she reached a fresh headstone and knelt down before it, reading the name that rest upon its stone face "Jinx Diaz."

She remembered what Jinx had told her of her heritage. She too was a child of a demon, though not a very powerful one. Even so his ego was just as big as her own father's and he too wanted an heir on earth. He succeeded in a young foolish girl almost similar to her mother. She was a poor gypsy with nothing to her name and he offered her a better life if she took his hand in marriage. Of course, if she knew then what she knew now, she would've turned and run. However, she accepted. It was only after Jinx had been conceived that her new husband showed her his true self and the young woman came to regret her decision. She fled the house, running as far and as fast as she could. Not even taking the time to look back to see if he was following her.

The young girl crawled back to her family who with caution let her back into their lives. However, what they didn't know was that the girl was with child and it was fathered by a demon whose business was made in bad fortune. Too poor to afford an alternative solution she hid her condition until she hit her ninth month and gave birth to a baby girl she ironically named Jinx. This she didn't do in an effort of humor, but more out of cruelty, to signify the misfortune the child would bring upon her and it did. Jinx's mother hardly ever touched her daughter and from what Raven understood even refused to look at her. Raven could remember the hurt in her pink eyes when she spoke of the cruelty. Raven felt for the girl, knowing the need for a mothers love, though Raven felt lucky knowing her mother truly did love her. Whereas Jinx only knew the resentment and hate her mother felt for her. This sadly made Raven grateful, thinking of how she may have turned out if she'd been born into those circumstances. It was because of this she couldn't blame Jinx for her misdeeds and past associations, especially after knowing her mother sold her to the Hive.

Jinx was only eleven when an old woman came to her door. She'd heard of a girl that seemed to be followed by bad luck and was rumored to have been involved with witchcraft. Jinx had apparently been involved in a few "unfortunate" accidents and the locals believed her to be the cause, mostly because whenever something bad happened, she was the only other person to witness it. This caused rumors of everything from witchcraft to demonic possession.

For this, Jinx was mostly looked down upon and often shunned for her doings, and sadly, Jinx truly was the cause. Being as young as she was, Jinx had little understanding of her power, but found if she looked at something or someone too long they would find themselves looking misfortune in the eye. She also found if she conjured up a bad thought that a good percentage of the time it would play itself out. However, no one could prove Jinx was responsible for anything, mostly because they were accidents. The most they could accuse her with was unfortunately being there.

Still when the woman arrived, Jinx remembered looking out from a broom closet. She saw an older woman with grey hair tied up in a beehive style, wearing a high collared house dress with a broach in the center of the neckline. The woman said she'd come from the States and was interested in the young girl said to be responsible for all the bad luck that surrounded the family. Jinx's mother called her out and told her to go outside while the two women spoke. Outside of the trailer, she waited in the fall drizzle for her mother to call her back. She kept her distance from the people who glared at her with distain and shivered from the cold. Within a span of an hour the woman emerged from the filthy trailer and opened her umbrella. She looked out at the little girl who stood in the rain and approach her. 

Once she was within a foot from her she finally addressed Jinx directly and said, "Come out of the rain child this is no place for you now." Jinx looked up with wide eyes and questioned the woman who only responded with, "Your time here is over, there isn't anything here for you. There never was."

"But what about my mother?" She questioned.

"Your mother has no use for you child. Now come with me, this weather is dismal and I can't have you falling ill, not with what I paid for you." The woman said taking Jinx by the arm.

"Paid for me?"

"Yes, but I promise you it's the best thing that has ever happened to you, my dear, and far better than what was to come of you here."

The woman led the young girl to a car and explained to her that she was from the Hive Academy, who specialized in molding children and young adults into powerful mercenaries and soldiers. Children with special gifts and talents that would go underappreciated without their training if left untouched. Jinx learned she had the power to control fortune and that she could become a very powerful sorceress if she worked hard enough. She soon found herself getting the praise and attention she'd always wanted and she got even more the harder she worked.

This was how the Hive brainwashed her and her fellow classmates into becoming criminals. Taking young children who were neglected and abused and giving them rewards for their hard work to gain their trust. They offered them a family, though dysfunctional as it was and a code to live by. The fact her mother sold her only drove her loyalty to the Hive deeper, fueling her rejection and resentment even further to the bone.

Jinx never saw her mother again and insisted that she never wanted to. But Raven knew that deep down Jinx wanted to confront her, she wanted her to see what she'd become without her help.

"Jinx, I promise when all of this is over I'll find her and let her know you died a hero."

Raven felt for the poor girl, she'd been through a lot over the years. What made her feel for Jinx, however, on a deeper level was how easily she could have been her. She too knew the feeling of ridicule and distrust. To know that all those around her feared her for what she was and would become. It was only when she found the Titans that she ever truly felt acceptance among others. Though they didn't always see eye to eye they still stood by one another because at the end of the day they were a family. And it wasn't until the Titans that Jinx found love like Raven did.

This was their understanding that even the darkest of souls can find safety among the company of others. That no past or destiny can determine who you are and that no one is defined by their bloodline. It was something that the two girls found comforting, to know they weren't alone. That someone truly understood what it meant to be born a child of Hell, but live among those of Heaven. Raven only hoped that for her friend's sake she rested peacefully and was spared from the sins of her father. Truly, if God was as good as believed he wouldn't hold her lineage against her. She'd spent the last two years of her life not only atoning for her own sins, but also her father's. Trying to prove she was beyond him and his curse.

It was something Raven only knew too well. She'd spent years fighting the hold of her father and spent longer trying to prove she wasn't like him or any other demon. All in hopes of forsaking her place in the deepest circle of Hell. She wouldn't spend the rest of eternity in the Pit.

Raven began to hear a light sound of melody coming from a distance. She looked up, but saw none in her view. Curious and intrigued, she rose up and motioned in its direction, listening closely for the source. It was the romantic and sultry sound of a violin, playing a song she knew as an old jazz ballet called _"Gloomy Sunday."_

The song was quite old, being written in the early nineteen hundreds. It was a sad tale of mourning which one could not only hear in the words, but also the melody being played mostly in C minor. (Though this rendition seemed to be played in E minor instead.) Raven had never heard the song played on violin before and found this rendition even more haunting than she'd ever heard before. The was intoxicating and Raven found herself singing along quietly in a low voice.

"Sunday is gloomy,  
my hours are slumberless.  
Dearest the shadows  
I live with are numberless.  
Little white flowers  
Will never awaken you,  
not where the black coach of  
sorrow has taken you."

Finishing this line she saw in the distance a hooded figure wrapped in a cloak, delicately playing the tune. The shadowy figure gracefully turned to face Raven. She could see through the opening of the cloak a young woman hardly much older than her. She was dressed in a long skirt that appeared to be covering a thick petticoat with a black satin corset that seemed to be cinched tightly. Under the corset a black lace blouse could be seen, being quite sheer on her pale skin. Though Raven admired the girl's outfit, she did find it quite strange. Then she remembered, she was wearing her uniform and even went as far to consider a wardrobe change.

The mysterious young woman looked up in Raven's direction and smiled at her. Removing her bow from her violin, she began to approach her and signaled for Raven to meet her halfway. Raven hesitated a moment, unsure of the girl's identity, but something seemed eerily familiar about her. And before she knew she was face to face with the young violinist.

"I didn't realize I was playing for an audience." The girl said through a beautiful French accent and removed her hood, revealing an equally beautiful face. Raven couldn't help but notice the girl's high cheek bones and full lips, but her dark blue eyes were very unusual looking. As she pulled out her long black hair from under her cloak, Raven noticed a strange symbol on the girl's neck that was made up of three crescent moons. "What brings you out this lovely night?"

"I could ask you the same thing?" Raven replied crossing her arms. "What's your name?"

"Like you, I have quite a few, but I like to go by Abigail. As for my being here, the dead make for a quiet audience." She said with a smirk.

"I only have one name, Raven." She insisted.

"But that's not the name your father gave you." Raven froze for a moment unsure of what to think. "I'm not here to cause you any harm my dear."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm here to point you in the right direction. You see you met a fellow acquaintance of mine the other night and I don't think she got the message across." The girl then produced an object out of thin air that looked just like Robin's wallet.

"The woman dressed in white?"

"Yes, Jane, but she was too busy playing pick-pocket to deliver the message, but no matter." The wallet then vanished in a dismal mist as though it dissolved into thin air. "The next time you see we three, you will seek us out."

"Who are you three?" Raven said swallowing her fear.

Abigail let a sly smirk pull across her face and with a light laugh said, "Fate."

Before Raven could respond she heard the sound her communicator break the silence as it echoed through the graveyard. Still wrapped in shock and fright she didn't dare break eye contact with the entity in front of her.

"You should probably answer that before you wake the dead." Abigail said with another wicked smile.

Startled, Raven reached for her communicator, fumbling it in her hands. She flipped open the screen and when she looked up the woman in black was nowhere to be seen.

"Raven, come in are you there?" She heard Beast Boy say over the static.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Listen Rae, I know you and I aren't on the best of terms right now, but the team needs you."

Raven didn't like the tone of Beast Boy's voice. She could tell something was wrong, but he didn't want to tell her.

"Beast Boy is everything alright? Tell me!"

"Starfire is hurt and Cyborg is out cold. It's just me and Robin and I don't think we can do it alone. Please Raven, we need you."

"I'll be there."

333

The Titan's had fought hard, but the wrath of Slade was proving too strong for them to hold off in their divided state. Starfire had taken quite the hit in the battle and seemed to be favoring one arm. Cyborg was doing a pretty good job of holding off Slade's small army until he received a major blow to the head, rendering him unconscious. Robin and Beast Boy remained relatively unharmed (nothing but a few bruises and scratches. However, the two were growing tired as they were now basically fighting the battle on their own). Beast Boy eventually swallowed his pride and called Raven for help. If anything, she could at least heal the others so that they were at least fighting with a full team.

He found his anger slightly motivating. It was as if something was tapping into his more primal instincts and pulling the strings. It reminded him of his inner beast which frightened him, but for some reason he found it exciting. There was a thrill in this new feeling and willingness to give into it. The question was could he actually control it?

333

Robin found himself balancing on the ledge of the old factory roof. A moment reminiscent of so many battles he'd fought against Slade over the years. He caught a glance of his advisory's eye, looking into them he felt forced to see the parts of himself that mirrored back at him.

Robin was able to trip Slade causing him to fall back, giving him the perfect opportunity to change to the offensive. Robin knew his technique was coming off sloppy and that someone of Slade's caliber could see such a thing. His head was not entirely in the fight, he was still confused and sorting through the mangled pieces of memory. However, Slade as always was a strong opponent and didn't let Robin see any weakness.

"You know Robin, if I'd known you weren't on you're A game, I would've just stayed home."

"Sorry I'm boring you."

They soon collided and exchanged blows, but neither one backed down. Below them Beast Boy still fought, but Starfire had finally fallen, unable to fight any longer. As he pulled her to safety he soon found himself surrounded. Tired and threatened he had no choice but to fight on in order to keep his friend safe. A deep growly came from the young man's chest, a warning to all to back away. Just as Beast Boy was about to pounce, a black wave of energy revealed itself, swiftly sweeping the army of Slade Bots into a neighboring wall.

"Raven!" Beast boy cried, surprisingly happy to see his teammate.

"Is Starfire alright?" She asked, with heavy concern.

"She needs help."

Raven moved to the unconscious girl and placed her hands on her wounds, letting her dark power heal them. Starfire had suffered some head trauma and a broken arm. Raven was able to heal all of the trauma and reduce her arm to slight sprain. However, she still remained unconscious as her body was tired and needed to rest. Raven moved on to Cyborg who was now stumbling to his feet. He had no serious injuries only some circuitry damage that Raven couldn't assist him with. Instead, she focused her attention to the roof where Robin was still fighting Slade.

"You three should rest and stay put. I'll help Robin." She said turning to take off and locate her masked leader.

"Raven wait!" She turned and looked back at her friends who were still sitting behind her. "Be careful," Beast Boy called out, still holding an unconscious Starfire.

Raven nodded then turned to the building where her sights were set. She motioned toward the old brick structure getting ready to take flight. As her feet began to lift from the ground she heard a loud scream and a cry for help. Without a second thought Raven bolted to the aid of who ever called out from the dark alley way. Racing down the dark pathway that ran along the side the old factory the shadows became darker. The cries for help echoed off the crumbling brick walls around her as dust rose beneath her feet. She didn't look back to see if her teammates where behind her, she just followed the sound of a young girl crying for help. She finally stopped when she heard one last blood chilling scream. She ducked as a flock of crows came barreling over her head and flew off into the moonlight. The rustling of their wing could be heard clearly as they brushed passed her. She froze a moment, finding herself in dead silence with only the sound of her breath to fill the void. Looking ahead she couldn't see past the deep shadows that concealed all that lay within them.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Show yourself."

Just then a small figure rose from a dark corner and ran quickly through the shadows where it hid behind a pile of scrap metal. Raven jumped back frightened. The small figure had taken her by surprise, but she quickly got a grip over her shock and took a deep breath.

"Hello, I'm sorry if I scared you. Are you alright?" She said slowly approaching its hiding place. "Hello, I'm not gonna hurt you, I'm here to help."

She rounded the corner and knelt down by the old heap. She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but she braced herself for the worst. She heard a low growling noise and a pair of glowing eyes peer out at her.

"AAAHHH!" She screamed and drew back only to see a stray cat leaped out at her from the darkness. "Holy Fuck! Oh my God!" She panted taking in a deep breath and, slowly, beginning to slip into a fit of laughter. "It's just a cat. It's just… a fucking… cat. Oh, what's next? Is someone gonna throw a dead… AAAHHHH!"

Before Raven knew it she found herself looking down at her hands which were now covered in blood that'd splattered from a rather large object. It had come crashing down from the roof in front of her only about five feet away. The roof itself was about a four story drop, causing a great impact on collision.

A cloud of dust had arisen from the ground around what appeared to be a body. Raven once again froze afraid to see whose identity it belonged to. The ground around her had also been sprayed with blood and even her face and clothing were damp with it as well. She could feel the warm fluid slowly trailing down her cheek and down to her neck where her hair clung to it. She let out a few whimpers unsure of her reality, still trapped in a moment of shock.

Her body began to shake violently as she was unable to call out for help feeling as though she'd forgotten how to speak. She feared to know who lay most likely dead before her. If her reality was everything she feared it was, she didn't know if she could go on. Her guilt began to pour over her heavy and hot, causing her breathing to become labored with panic.

Finally she found the strength to lift herself up out of the dusty gravel and to her feet. Her knees and shins were now covered in dirt which she didn't bother to brush off. She was still in a trance as though her body was on auto pilot waiting to wake up. She slowly approached the deathly still body that lay in the still pooling blood. Her body relaxed when she looked down and saw the build was too heavy to be Robin's, but the dark was still too thick to completely confirm who it belonged to.

With her suspicion at rest, Raven ventured closer to the body, but stopped when she saw his trade mark mask starring lifelessly in her direction. _Even in death he still makes my blood run cold,_ she thought taking a moment to look into the eye of the dead man. She leaned over looking at him with a morbid curiosity. She didn't really know why, but she reached out with her sights set on the man's mask. As her fingertips graced the edge of it she pulled it off, revealing an older man with silvery white hair stained with blood and a gouged eye long scarred over. Blood trailed from his lips and the thought began to sink in that... _Robin killed Slade!_

Suddenly his right hand shot up and wrapped itself around Raven's forearm. The girl let out a loud scream and pulled back, but he had her strong in his grip. He let out a horrid gasp as more blood sprayed from his mouth with a wet cough. Raven horrified, tried to fight herself free of him, still screaming for help. The man began to laugh sinisterly; he'd always loved the way she'd squirm under his touch.

"What's the matter Raven, no kiss goodbye?" He said weakly.

"Go to Hell, Slade!"

"Oh don't worry my dear, I'll be going shortly, but know your beloved Robin didn't send me there."

"Then who did?" Raven asked with a mix of fear and venom.

"I can't tell you, but your Father sends his best." This caused Raven to become enraged and her eyes began to burn red with the deadly emotion. "Oh, and Raven, I'll see you in the Pit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abigail is not an OC she is a Character from the concert album by King Diamond called "Abigail as well as Jane who is from "Fatal Portrait."


	6. With what Little Is Left

She found herself lost among the flashing lights and chaos moving around her. The police were now at the scene and securing it with crime scene tape, asking their “routine” questions that sounded suspiciously insinuating. Raven looked on as a body bag rolled passed her, leaving her with a heavy feeling she didn’t quite understand. The man who on occasion infested her nightmares was finally dead, yet that knowledge left her little comfort. If anything, it provoked more questions than she had before. Slade’s time of death was pronounced none other than 3 O’clock am, leaving Raven with a haunting suspicion that it was no coincidence.

Moments after Slade died, Beast Boy appeared in the dark pathway after hearing Raven’s horrified screams. He looked shocked as his eyes fell on the corpse before him. He took a moment to gather himself, trying to keep a level of composure, but Raven knew deep down he thought she’d killed Slade. It was only when Raven started crying and tried to fly to the roof that Beast Boy began to listen.

_“Raven, it’s alright, I’m sure the others will understand.”_

_“But, what if they don’t.”_ Raven replied frantically.

_“They will Raven, it’s not your fault.”_

_“My fault?”_

_“It was self-defense right?”_ Beast Boy said not realizing her response.

_“Beast Boy, I didn’t kill Slade… I think... Robin did.”_

Beast Boy furrowed his brow with a look of shock and confusion, almost disappointed with the conclusion. She knew it was easier to conceive that she were more capable of murder than Robin and that he could never do such a thing. But it appeared that maybe that theory was wrong. Raven found herself becoming quite disgusted with the thought as she could tell Beast Boy felt a little embarrassed that he’d just accused her of such a crime.

Either way, Raven shot up to the roof where she found Robin stumbling to his feet. He was extremely disoriented and had no memory of what had taken place only minutes before. Raven found he had a rather large abrasion on the back of his head. The wound was bleeding moderately and rested just above the occipital ridge. She could tell by the way Robin was talking that he had a mild concussion and used what was left of her healing abilities to mend it. However, he still had little memory of what happened on the dark roof top.

As Raven looked over at him, he seemed withdrawn and a look of guilt wore hard on his features. He may have hated Slade, but Robin didn’t have the same carnal taste for blood that drove many mad men to their ends. He appeared uncomfortable with the thought that he may have taken a life and Raven feared the guilt would harden him and eat away at his humanity. But a question still presented itself; if Robin really did kill Slade, then who knocked him out?

Yes it was possible if Robin pushed Slade off the roof that he could’ve administered a final blow that rendered the young man unconscious. But then how could he have been hit in the back of the head? Or better yet did Robin even witness Slade’s murder at all?

“So now tell me again young lady what happened?” A young police officers said in a cocky tone.

“I already told you twice.” Raven insisted feeling rather annoyed.

“But you haven’t told me,” said a more mature, seasoned voice. Raven looked over to see Detective O’Brien standing to her left. He quickly dismissed the young officer and said he would handle the questioning from there on. “Now Raven, if you wouldn’t mind from the beginning please.”

Raven still looked rather displeased, but she pulled it together and began her horrid tale once more. “I got here a little before three I guess, after I received a call from Beast Boy saying he needed my help. I got here as fast as I could.”

“So now, what happened when you got here?”

“I found my friends wounded so I did what I could for them, and then I heard a scream so I ran to help whoever it was.”

“… And?”

“There wasn’t anyone there. That’s when Slade’s body came crashing down from the roof.”

“Ok, now you told my fellow officer that he was still alive when he landed is that true?” He asked with a cold voice.

“Yes.”

 “Did he say anything to you before he died?”

“He just said something about how he was going to Hell and that Robin didn’t send him there. He also added he would see me in the _Pit_ ,” Raven said with her head in her hand as she relived the moment.

“Alright, so what happened when you found your friend on the roof?”

“He’d been knocked unconscious and he clearly had a concussion. I used what was left of my healing ability to help him recover.”

“Did he say anything to you about the incident?”

“He only asked what happened and I told him that Slade was dead.”

“What was his reaction?”

“He was shocked. He couldn’t recall most of the fight, and I still think he can't.” Raven said peering over at the distant young man.

“Alright, now Raven, let’s back track, you heard a scream?” Raven nodded in annoyance as the detective continued. “Ok, well none of your friends heard this alleged scream, in fact, they have no idea why you took off.”

Raven looked up at Detective O’Brien in disbelief, her confusion clear in her eyes. “What? It was clear as day.”

“Or you are clearly lying to cover for someone, or… yourself?”

“NO! That’s ridiculous.” Raven said with venom to the implication.

“Is it? You’re covered in the victim’s blood and you do have a history with the deceased.”

“I’m not saying another word other than I didn’t kill Slade. I wouldn’t sink so low.” Raven said crossing her arms with distaste present on her face.

“Alright then, who did?” The detective asked looking over in Robin’s direction.

“I don’t know, so unless I’m under arrest I’m done talking to you”

Detective O’Brien nodded and began to walk away, but paused before taking his leave. “Oh, by the way, don’t leave town for a couple of days that includes your boyfriend.”

Raven just glared at the man lividly as he walked away with little more than a shrug. As soon as he was gone she moved toward Robin who was staring off into nothing. His gaze was cold and defeated with a look of lost confusion resting deep on his brow. She sat down next to him, unsure of what to say or even what to think.

“Robin, are you alright?”

He looked back at her still lost in his thoughts, his mind resting heavy on the idea of him possibly being responsible for a man’s death. “They think I killed Slade.” He said with his head arched in a heavy sulk.

Raven bit her lip with sustain. She didn’t know what to think herself. Part of her was happy that Slade was finally gone, yet another part of her felt for the fact that the person she loved may be responsible for his death.

“Robin, I don’t think you killed Slade.” Robin faked a smile and looked out into the distance again as Raven continued. “I think they’d rather believe I killed Slade.” Robin looked over at her with a questioning look on his face. It was clear by this look that it sparked a rather grim question. “I didn’t, so stop looking at me that way.”

“I’m sorry Rae, I just don’t really know what to think right now everything is so…”

“Uncertain, yeah welcome to my life. You’re not the one who had to see him die,” she said looking down at her blood soaked cloths.

“Yeah Rae, I get it.” Robin snapped.

“I’m sorry it’s just not really the night I had planned.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“Robin, what do you remember?” Raven asked after a moment of silence.

“I already told you, nothing.” Robin said in a defensive tone.

“I know your lying so you might as well tell me.”

Robin looked over at her once more, but doubt burned thick in his stare. It was clear that whatever he was holding back not only disturbed him, but it also caused him to doubt his own credibility.

“What did you see?” Raven asked one last time, hoping her plea would be enough to free his words.

“Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t real.” He sighed heavily.

“But what if it was?”

“If it was, it wouldn’t make any sense. I don’t see how it could.” The young man ran his fingers through his inky black hair, his face still filled with doubt.

He looked over at Raven and saw the look on her face begging him to reveal the sight. “If I tell you what I thought I saw, you have to promise not to tell a soul.”

Raven only nodded and took the boys hand as he began.

“Ok, I remember fighting Slade on the roof. I was able to give him a solid hit to the Ribs and it was enough to make him lose focus for a moment. He said something about how he couldn’t be any more proud, because I was becoming more like him than he anticipated. I know now he was only trying to get me to lose my focus and I did. I insisted I would never become such a thing and that I’d rather die than become him.”

“So what happened?”

“Nothing I went to take a swing at him with my staff, but then I felt a blow to the back of my head and everything went numb. I hit the ground and rolled over on my back and before everything went dark I saw… no, it’s too ridiculous.” Robin said shaking his head.

“Saw what?” Raven urged.

“I think I saw…”

“You two ready to go.” Cyborg called out, cutting of the Boy Wonder.

The two birds look back at one another and nodded. As they began to walk over to the T Car Raven attempted to get Robin to finish his sentence. However, the boy withdrew even further, insisting it didn’t matter. Raven could feel the boy’s frustration and resentment he held for his nemesis because deep down inside, he thought he’d killed Slade.

The car ride home was quiet with hardly a word spoken. The mood was a mixture of discomfort and uncertainty, not only toward one another, but also personally. Raven spent most of it looking out the window watching the sun began to peek on the horizon. Robin was seated next to her, his head held low and his mind deep in thought. Beside him, Beast Boy had fallen asleep, exhausted from the chaos that ensued within the last few hours. Cyborg was of course in the driver’s seat wearing a worried look on his face which Raven caught in the rear view mirror. Starfire seemed to be on a completely different planet as she was unreachable from the front passenger seat. Every so often Raven would look in her direction and notice she was not only even more shut off, but her beauty was fading. Her skin was becoming more yellow as it seemed to be losing its copper undertones. Her hair had become limp and dull, losing almost all of its body and vitality. There was something wrong with her, something that went much deeper than a broken heart or a bruised ego. Something more sinister.

Once they arrived at the tower, the sun had risen to a golden sky. The night winds had gone and the scent of the morning dew hung light in the air. However, this did little to lighten the mood of which sadness reigned supreme. Each Titan seemed defeated in their own personal way, each one less lively than the next. There was little to be said and even less to be discussed among them as they each split in their separate directions.

Cyborg retreated to one of the labs to repair his physical damage, while Beast Boy set off to tend to Terra. This made Raven want to protest, but she bit her tongue, knowing the argument would facture the team even further. Robin who was still lost deep in his thoughts refused to speak with anyone and only mutter that he was going to bed. Starfire only looked on as her friends dispersed; her gaze cold and listless, leaving little warmth to be found. Raven took a deep breath as guilt crept into her heart. She couldn’t help but feel responsible for the girl’s ill feelings as they rolled off her like smoke.

“Star, can we talk?” The violet haired girl asked in a cautious tone.

The alien girl only looked back for a moment, her stare empty and her expression blank. It was as though for a moment she didn’t comprehend the request. But then looked into the eyes of her counterpart and remembered her lies. Suddenly a spark caught in her stare and Raven could see her hurt and furry visible on her face.

“I do not wish to speak with you Raven.” She responded with an icy tone.

“Please Star, just let me explain myself.”

“There is nothing to be explained,” Starfire said moving toward the hallway, “you wished to keep your feelings for Robin a secret and did so with none of the regard for mine.” Once the words left her mouth the alien girl stormed out into the hallway leaving Raven to her loneliness.

A tear rolled down her cheek as an overwhelming sadness plucked all hope away. Raven fought the urge to collapse on the floor though her body fought hard in protest. She pulled what little she had left together and moved sluggishly down the hallway to her room. Upon entering she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The grotesque image of a girl covered in dirt and dry blood stared back at her and she became revolted at the sight. Quickly she ripped off her uniform, looking horrified at the remnants of dried blood that still stained her white skin. Soon the sound of running water rippling off the tile and echoed from all around her, drowning out the unwanted silence.

Before stepping under the warm water she turned once more to the mirror. Not only was she still bathed in the blood of the man who haunted her nightmares, but she also bore the marks of an enemy she didn’t even know. They felt hideous on her skin and brought forth a helplessness she could hardly understand, yet she could. It was something she’d lived with for as long as she could remember, but now it felt, more surreal.

She sat in the shower for hours, letting the hot water fall over her until it ran cold, watching the blood circle the drain, as the memories replayed themselves. Still, no amount of water seemed to wash her clean. The memory of deep red on pale skin was burned too deep and the water would never run clear.

She didn’t bother to get dressed, only throwing on a pair of gray shorts and a black tank top. She was still wiping away the tears from her eyes when a thought crossed her mind. Her eyes fell on an old jewelry box on her dresser. Slowly she opened the lid and peered inside. Raven hardly ever wore jewelry and she didn’t really possess all that much. But what she had, meant more to her than their value combined. In the box lay a few rings Azar had given her on her death bed. They were solid gold and one possessed a rather large red stone, she believed to be ruby. Beside them lay a thin bracelet Robin had given her for her birthday. It was a simple silver chain she wore whenever they went out. Even just seeing it brought a smile to her face, even for just a moment. Still the silver bracelet wasn’t what she was seeking. Her prize lay hidden in a blue velvet bag in the corner of the box that she soon took in her hands. She untied the strings and let the object fall into her palm where it sat only for a moment. It was a gold cross that belonged to her mother. Raven’s mother acquired it from her own mother who received it from her mother and so on. The cross had been passed down many generations and was rumored to have come from Rome.

Raven had never worn it and she’d hardly ever touched it. Mostly because one, she felt that to wear such a symbol she would need faith (which she didn’t have) and second, if she tapped into her demonic power, it burned her like Hell. Even just holding it in her palm gave her a slight sensation of pain, but nothing she couldn’t bear. With a deep sigh she pulled the cross up to her neck and hooked the clasp. The moment the cross fell on her skin a light sting could be felt on her flesh. However, the memory of her mother and its personal meaning over threw the pain and a numbness took over.

Raven fell on her bed with a heavy sigh and looked up at the ceiling aimlessly. Her eyes drifted across the dark plane above her and her emotions scurried to sort through the chaos. Normally she would have meditated, but her mind was too tried to do so. Her fingers traced the skin of her neck, following the thin gold chain down to her collar bone. For a moment, her stare was lifeless and empty until a thought filled it with something just short of discovery.

“Fate,” she whispered on a soft breath, “that’s it, fate.”

Raven rose from her bed and swiftly moved to her bookcase, eager to take her prize. She hardly wasted any time quickly finding the book she wanted and took it in her hands. Like many of her books it was old, being written somewhere in the fifteen hundreds in Early Modern English. She opened it, flipping through the yellowing pages as she remembered an old tale Azar had told her when she was merely a child. It was a story of three _wyrd_ sisters who acted as one entity and pulled the strings of mortal lives. The first sister simply spun the thread of a person’s life as the second measured its length, leaving the third to cut the thread when she felt it was long enough. Azar referred to these sisters as the Three Fates and often warned Raven of their power. She said not much was known about them only that they were neither good nor evil, but to escape them was futile.

_“The sun and the moon shall rise on their time and when one’s sun goes down; your fate shall be found.”_

The quote echoed through her memory as the page that read _The Fates_ appeared in view. The passage mostly read of what Azar told her, but also an in-depth look into the folklore behind the idea of the sister fates. The first sister represented birth, the second life and the length of its span, and the final fate being death, who cut the strings at the end. _They're like poetic puppet masters,_ Raven thought as she read that the sister were thought to have some sort of clairvoyance and possible power to manipulate ones destiny. Ultimately deciding humanities fate.

333

Raven’s feet beat softly on the dirt path. The stones aligned on its edge in ruins as the moon hung low above the trees. The world around her was quiet and the hour about 3 O’clock. Dark shadows seemed to move past her through the thick tree line and disappeared within shadows. Their faces were unseen, but their presence was known as Raven could feel them in her mind. They were unfamiliar to her, yet still possessed something of recognition.

In the distance, the old house could be seen up ahead lingering under the moonlight. As she approached it she could softly hear her name being called as it fell soft on the wind. Three shadowy figures stood on its fractured porch, holding their heads down and facing the outer wall. They all stood dreadfully still as she continued to walk further. Rustling could still be heard from behind her and traveled up the tree line beside her.

She couldn’t help but feel uneasy looking up at the old structure before her which still possessed its sinister charm. Its windows were still nailed shut with boards in place of the broken glass. The house itself seemed to be in a state of rot as several broken boards revealed themselves on the siding. Vines scaled the height of the structure, reaching the upstairs windows where they became greedy. Infesting the glass to take the light for themselves. The whole structure appeared weak and dangerous as it sat on its crumbling foundation, waiting for time to finally consume it.

When she finally reached the stairs she looked up to the shadowy figures. They were still and completely unmoved. Looking closely through the shadows, Raven noticed that one of the figures had pink hair.

“Jinx? Is that you?” Raven whispered with hesitation and curiosity, but the figure remained still.

When she didn’t get a response she looked to her left where she found a tall man with white hair facing the wall away from her.

“Slade?”

He too did not respond, only standing as still as ever with no clever words to be said. Raven looked to her side to see a male figure she did not recognize standing to her left facing away from her. Uneasy she stood silently on the porch looking up at the doorway. The figures around her still facing the wall as thought time had stoped. Above the doorway was a name plate. At first Raven could barely see it through the dust and the shadows that hovered over it, but through the darkened moonlight she saw a name…

“Le Fay.” She whispered.

Suddenly the pink haired figure’s neck rolled and cracked it to both sides, startling Raven with the vulgar sound. She swiftly, yet eerily turned to face her; her eyes white with death and her skin cold with decay.

“Take my advice and go back this night.” Jinx said as her body seemed to be the only thing coming alive.

“If you refuse, 18 will become 9.” Slade added with a similar motion, his eyes displaying the same lifeless gaze and his skin blue with death.

“18 is already 9.” The mysterious man said from behind her. Raven turned to face him, finding the sight to be even more morbid. His fleshed showed even more decay and had unsightly bruising around his neck as though he’d been hung. His eyes looked sickly and full of rot as well as his skin which also showed signs of decomposition.

“Or have you forgotten your name?” he added, causing Raven to draw back, looking quite fearful. The man, however, did not move, standing at the entry way of the porch. “So what do you say… Lady Bird?”

Raven froze for a moment and shuddered at sound of being called by her old pet name, reaching for the cross around her neck only to find it gone. The three living corpses only looked back at her with their white eyes and cocked heads, waiting for her to breathe even a word.

“I came to see the Three Fates.” She said with little confidence and hindered by fear.

Suddenly the three deathly figures smiled sinisterly at one another then looked back at Raven and said, “Then let the Raven come.”

The three soon vanished into thin air as Raven found herself alone in the night. A slow cry of rusty door hinges began to sounded off from behind her. She turned slowly to find the door opening by itself reveal a kingdom of dust and debris that lay behind it. The sound lingered on as Raven peered into the darkness while three cloaked figures came into view. They moved slowly in unison as though they were but one entity, chanting the following verses as one,

“The Raven can’t forget her name,

for it’s too late the oath’s been made.

The Raven can’t forget her name,

but it’s too late the oath’s been made.”

They stopped in the shadows of the doorway keeping their faces well hidden beneath their cloaks. The three figures were undoubtedly female and this revelation was only supported by their voices which had a feminine nature. Raven didn’t move from her place as she look on at them with awe.

“Are you the Fates?” She questioned.

“Yes, and who might thee be?” questioned one fate.

                                              “And speak the name of your father.”

                                                                                                     “The one you will not say.”

“It sounds like you already know it.” Raven responded with what little confidence she could manage.

“Of course we do, but you must say it, if it be true.”

Raven froze. She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the name her father had chosen for her. To say it would mean she’d have to acknowledge the plans he had for her and her end as well.

“I chose a long time ago I wouldn’t become her so I refuse to speak that name.” Raven looked back at them with an assertive look in her eyes, hell-bent on standing her ground.

“Very well then,”

                       “We shall meet again,”

                                                       “When light turns to night,”

                                                                                               “Under the inferno tonight.” The Three Fates said. “So let it be done.”

 

Raven suddenly awoke from her sleep to the sound of knocking at her door. For a moment she refused to move, thinking it was possibly Terra coming to invoke terror. The sound came crashing against the door again filling the room with a dull echo.

“Hey Rae, you awake?” Raven heard Cyborg say from behind the door.

She paused and let out a sigh of relief, thankful it was only the mechanical man.

“I am now Cye, what’s up?”

“Um well, I need you to come see something, something… weird.”

333

A few minutes later Raven found herself in Cyborg’s room looking at the wall with concern heavy on her face. The sight before her was of an old crucifix Cyborg kept that belonged to his parents. However it was now inverted on the wall.

“How long has this been going on?” She asked still staring up at the violated religious object.

“About a week now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Cyborg took in a deep breath and sat down in his chair. It was clear he was uncomfortable discussing the event and felt foolish for even doing so.

“Well at first I thought it was nothing, just a loose nail or something logical like that. I put it back up right and the next day I found it upside down again. I was convinced it was just Beast Boy messing with me, but that changed a few days ago.” He paused and took a another deep breath, looking nervous to go on.

“Cyborg, you can tell me, I’ll understand.”

“It started doing this.”

Cyborg took hold of the old wooden crucifix and fixed it on its vertical nail settings. Once it was in its proper place he let go of it and backed away. Once he was at Raven’s side the two looked on at the holy object.

“What are we waiting for?” Raven questioned when suddenly the cross swung down like a pendulum and swayed against the wall, counting lost moments until it fell in its inverted position.

For a moment they were both silent only looking back at one other to see the others reaction. Raven could tell that Cyborg was disturbed by what he’d just witnessed, but was too afraid voice his suspicions. Cyborg was really the only Titan who really had any faith aside from Starfire who was still heavily influenced by her native culture. Raven herself was more spiritual than anything. Only recognizing the possible existence of “God” but not going as far as to “believe” in him (which she felt were two completely different concepts). Robin lived by a code more than anything (mostly given to him by the Bat himself) and Beast Boy (well God only knows what “code” Beast Boy lived by). Still, Raven knew Cyborg was raised by a Christian family and even though he may not have been the most devout, he did hold his faith close to him.

“I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t think it was true.” He said looking up at the inverted cross. “I didn’t want it to be true.”

“None of us do Cye, but there is something very wrong in this tower.”

“I know that now, but that’s not everything.” Cyborg motioned to his computer and sat down. He began accessing old files and pulled up some old surveillance footage. “Remember when you asked me to look into these files?”

“Yes, but I forgot with everything that’s happened.”

“Yeah, I did too, until that cross started going all exorcist, so I went into the database and I found this.”

Raven looked up to the screen to see the main entrance clear in black and white with the time stamp reading 2:52 am. For a moment nothing happened and then the screen became snowy making it hard to see what was taking place.

“There’s nothing there.”

“Yeah I know, but look now. It’s 3:06 am and the camera is working again.” Cyborg said with suspicion. "And the box is magically there."

Raven stayed quite for a moment as she began to think of the numerology in her head, quickly coming to the conclusion of 9. The thought had her so intertwined she’d actually tuned out Cyborg who was trying to explain his findings.

“Hey, Rae you paying attention?” She nodded, queuing him continue. “Good cause I had no idea what could’ve caused it. I was able cleaned up the footage and I found something really…”

“Unexplainable.”

“Well, I was gonna say freaky, but you be the judge.” Cyborg said quickly pulling up the salvaged footage.

Once again, the main entrances appeared on the screen and the time stamp read the same as before. For a few moments nothing happened, but the footage became a bit grainy. Soon three small figures began to walk into the view of the camera angle. In the middle stood a boy who stood about six inches taller than the one to his right. To his left was a little girl dressed in what appeared to be a white dress.  The three children moved forward as the clarity varied from poor to acceptable. The children finally stopped once they reached the doorstep, keeping their heads down and out of view. In the tallest boy’s hands he held the box she feared, placing it on the step for her to find. The time read 3 O’clock and for a moment nothing happened. With a quick movement, that almost couldn’t be seen by the naked eye, the children turned their heads up to the camera at a nearly unnatural angle. The disturbing movement caused both Raven and Cyborg to become uneasy and nervous.

“Oh god they are real.” Whispered Raven looking into the empty eyes of the black eyed children.

“Wait, you know what those things are?” Cyborg questioned.

“No, but I’ve seen them before.”

“Wait, where are you going? Raven?” Cyborg called with Raven practically flying out of the room.

“I have to check on something just give me a minute.”

With that Raven ran out of the room stumbling over her feet. She found herself panicked as she frantically moved down the hall to her room. In fact, she was so consumed in her quest that she didn’t even notice Robin emerging from his room only a short distance away. She burst into her room and ran to the drawer with the false bottom. She pulled it open and retrieved her key then set her sights on the closet. Once inside she unlocked the chest that awaited her and pushed open the lid. She looked down in horror to find the box was not as she left it, but now lay prided open before her. Splintered pieces and black feathers lay scattered around it’s mangled frame. She picked up the parts of what was left of the box in disbelief, black feathers tumbled around her hands as she lifted it up. Placing it down it front of her, she placed her hands in the box, but found nothing but feathers and dead beetles.

“It’s empty.”

Her fingers greedily found the splintered remains of the lid which still possessed the nails that bound it. They were bent and even broken in some places. But what caught her attention were the deep claw marks that were craved deep into the wooden surface as though something was claw its way out. Raven felt a sickening feeling press upon her stomach as a strong feeling of defeat sunk deep into her heart.

“Raven what’s wrong?” She heard the Boy Wonder say from behind her. She turned and looked back to find him in the closet door way, looking back at her with worry.

“How could you?” She said with fear and betrayal in her voice.

“What? I don’t understand.”

“You opened it.”

“What are you talking about Raven?”

Raven quickly turned with the box in her hands, black feathers softly trailing from it as she moved. “You opened it, you opened the box!” She shouted, causing Robin to draw back in surprise.

“No Raven, I didn’t, I swear.” He assured, moving out of the closet.

“Really?” her tone was short and sarcastic as she continued, throwing the box down on her desk. “Because you’re the only person who even knew about the chest I locked it in, and you’re the only person who knows where I hide the damn key!”

Suddenly, the rest of the Titans appeared in the room, all frightened and curious as to what was possibly taking place.

“What is going on in here?” Cyborg questioned.

Raven and Robin both looked over in his direction, surprised to see not only the robotic man, but also Starfire and Beast Boy. Raven remained silent as she looked back at the Boy Wonder with a venomous stare. Robin seemed unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to upset Raven any more than she already was, but he knew that he had to say something.

“Which one of you opened the box?” he asked in a cautious tone.

The three Titans looked back in confusion and question. They appeared to have no idea of what Robin was speaking of as they looked back with confusion in their eyes.

“Well which one of you opened it?” Raven urged.

For a moment the room was silent and not a breath was drawn. Raven looked back at Robin and the rest of the Titans with only silence as her reply. Until a horrid voice could be heard, its harsh texture sounded of grinding and echoed of sounds that no man had ever heard as it said, “I did.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Give Me Your Soul...Please

The Titans froze as they looked around for the source of the vulgar voice. "Up here," the voice said, sounding of not only one voice, but at least three, all separate in tone, but equal in harshness.

The Titans looked up to find a hunched over figure perched up in the corner on one of Raven's bookshelves. The figure stared down at them with evil intention in its eyes and a sinister smile across its cracked lips.

"Friend Terra, is that you?" Starfire questioned with caution.

The figure turned her head and let her body sway a moment before answering, as though taking in the fear and discomfort she was causing among the young heroes. "Well, she's not actually home right now, but feel free to leave a message and We'll see she gets it before she dies." A sinister laughter filled the room and echoed of glass shattering.

The laughter itself was enough to make everyone's blood run cold as it was unnatural and demonic. She continued to look down at them through her yellowing eyes that burned with nothing but hatered. Her posture stood threatening and her mannerisms vulgar as she didn't seem to care in the least about anyone's dignity and cracked her neck hard to the side. The sound was more than disgusting and the reaction she got only gave her a sickening pleasure, finding the dismay entertaining.

"What have you done with Terra?" Raven asked trying to gather what little nerve she could.

Terra's soulless shell only cracked her neck once more and smiled as she said, "Nothing you don't already know little Lady Bird."

"Let her go!" Beast Boy shouted, causing the yellow eyes to look in his direction.

"And give up our bargaining chip so easy? We think not." With those horrid words every light in tower went dark and the possessed girl jumped down almost cat-like, her feet hitting the floor with a thud.

All the Titans backed away except Beast Boy, who looked ready to take on the fight. "If you don't leave Terra alone, I swear to God-"

"God?" The multiple voices cackled wickedly, "God, isn't here right now is he?" Beast Boy shuddered at Their tone, but remained unmoved. "If you really think God is going to save you then you may want to start praying because that's the only mercy you'll get from Us."

Beast Boy stood firm for a moment looking closely at the beast before him and growled. "I won't let you take her."

A demonic laugh filled the room once again, but this time seemed to linger longer in the air. The hollow shell of Terra then focused in on Beast Boy and charged him stopping only an inch from his face. His body language tensed and he scarcely drew back.

"Look as deeply as you want, fool. She isn't here anymore and if We don't receive 9 she never will be."

Raven froze as the words hit her harder than she let on. The creature looked in her direction and focused hard on her frame. Robin who noticed this began to move slowly toward Raven, hoping to get to her before what used to be Terra could.

"You know little Lady Bird you're quite the catch, very illusive and almost untouchable. But none the less you belong in the Pit, with Us, with _Him_."

"Who are you?" Raven questioned, holding back her tears as best she could.

"We are the evil that lurks in the darkest corners of your mind, the things that no one ever speaks of. We take on the forms of those monsters, those thoughts they become. We are the fear that keeps you awake at night, the very creatures haunting your dreams. We are a creation of the first time and born of the nightmares of sick children. We are known as Them, and only, Them." A loud cackle ensued and the room grew as cold as ice. Robin took the opportunity to reach out to Raven, but before his hand could reach hers, Their attention was caught. "DON'T TOUCH HER!" A furious look sparked in Their eyes causing Robin to pull back, swallowing his courage.

Raven looked back at him and without a word encouraged him to comply. The sounds of Starfire quietly weeping could be heard and They picked up on it right away. Moving in on her like a cat to a wounded mouse, as though attracted to the stench of fear. The processed girl lifted her hand and reached out in the terrified girls direction, slowly taking in the fear.

"Stop!" Raven called. "What did you come here for?"

They turned looking back at her with a sickening amusement, smiling menacingly. "We already told you, too collect you."

"You're not _collecting_ anyone!" Robin shouted.

"We have had enough out of you, boy!" They said, when suddenly Robin was slammed hard against the door.

"ROBIN!" Raven cried.

"You touch him he dies!" The rest of the Titans froze, only looking at Robin who seemed to be trapped under the hold of something unseen. "Now, if We have your attention... it's time we make a deal. You," They shrieked pointing to Raven, "for the girl."

"No deal." Robin growled with what little strength he had left.

"For that little outburst the wager has gone up. You Lady Bird for the girl and this foolish boy you love so very much."

"Don't do it Rave-"

"Quiet! One more word and you're dead." She shouted slamming the Boy Wonder hard against the door.

"Please stop! Why must you do this?" Starfire asked through her sobs. "Why are you even here?"

They once again looked in her direction and narrowed Their eyes, "Why you should know better than anyone. We were invited."

"I never invited you." Raven said shaking her head at Them.

"You didn't, but they did." The possessed figure gestured to Beast Boy and Starfire. But before anything more could be said Starfire suddenly cried out.

She started gripping at her hair as it appeared as though something was pulling rather hard at it. Terrified she began to flair around the room as though being led by her long red hair. Beast Boy and Cyborg ran to the girl's aid, though it seemed to be doing little for her.

"Stop! Please leave her alone!" Raven pleaded as she ran to help free the alien girl from the phantom grip.

"We are not doing that," They replied, "but admittedly, it's quite amusing."

Raven found herself disgusted by the reaction and moved forward when she heard Them from behind her.

"But We are doing this," Suddenly Beast Boy's head hit one of Raven's bedside tables face first, causing blood to gush freely from his nose and mouth. The green changeling quickly covered his obviously broken nose as blood seeped through his fingers.

"And This." Soon Cyborg who was lost in a moment of shock and jerked back as Robin called out to him. It was clear by the way the robotic man was fidgeting his head he was having some sort of electrical convulsion. The smell of burning electrical wires filled Raven's nose as she tried to use her dark energy to fight back. However the demonic force caught her, stopping Their assault on the mechanical man. But now Raven found herself being viciously attacked by an invisible enemy that fought like a rabid animal. Visible scratches began to appear on her skin, leaving gashed on her forearms as Raven tried to wildly to defend herself.

"You're not playing by the rules, perhaps we need to break your wings?" They laughed wickedly.

With a quick twist a sharp pain suddenly ran up Raven's arm and she cried out in agony. Robin couldn't help but squirm at the sound of breaking bones and called out to her. Helpless to save her.

"I thought We told you to be quiet! They hissed and with one hard swing Robin was thrown across the room, hitting his head hard against the wall.

Raven watch in horror as he fell to the floor like a rag doll and remained still. They let the demon girl free from Their grip and she quickly stumbled to her feet, cradling her shattered arm as she went. Once she reached him she fell next to him with tears heavy in her eyes, searching franticly for a pulse. For a moment she found nothing and chocked on her breath until she felt a slight beat pulsate just below the skin. Raven exhaled in relief though it was short lived. Looking around she found her teammates bleeding, tormented and broken around her.

Beast Boy was just coming to his feet still holding his nose while blood continued to pour from it. Cyborg was still out cold from the electrical damage he'd suffered, which Raven worried might be permanent. The attack on Starfire had subsided and whatever was assaulting her appeared to have stopped for the time being. But the terror still hovered over the redhead who looked around the room fearful of what might happen next.

Raven looked over at the possessed girl staring viciously back at her. Her black silhouette stood menacingly against the glare of the moonlight and for a moment, Raven couldn't help but feel powerless against Them.

"What's that matter dear, did you think We wouldn't come for you?"

"I don't even know who you are."

"You know Us more than you think," They cackled and approached the wounded girl, taking her by the hair. "Just like we know you, Nona."

The violet haired girl gasped. "What did you call me?"

A wicked smile appeared, "We called you by the name your father gave you. He sent Us here to bring you home, to fulfill the _Oath_."

Raven clawed at the hands that hove themselves through her hair, but her attempt seemed to have no effect. "The only oath I ever made was to never give into Trigon."

"That's not the oath We speak of," They said taking a moment to tighten Their grip, "this Oath was not made by you, but made centuries ago by a _family ghost_."

Raven struggled against Their grip, Their hot breath resting on her neck, "I don't care what oath was made I'll never go to Trigon willingly!"

"Oh you will, because if you don't this pathetic little creature you call a friend will die!" Raven looked up at the possessed girl that held her firm. "And even if this little bitch does die, We'll just destroy another one of these pathetic humans you _love_ and We'll continue to do so until there is nothing left of this life. We'll haunt you through the ones you love until the day we drag your horrid soul to its final resting place in Hell!"

Raven looked over at her friends once more and focused on Beast Boy who watched from the opposite wall. Unlike Starfire he seemed to be listening, taking the horror for what it was and not just the shock value. She watched as tears fell from his eyes as he looked on at the shadow of the girl he loved. Her body no longer in her control and her image plagued with the pollution of evil.

Terra may not have been her greatest ally, but Raven could not let her die at the hands of her father's doing. Better yet, she couldn't let Beast Boy watch such a fall from grace or let her friends fall with her. Her father was her burden and only hers to bear.

"If you want me you'll have to come get me." Raven said dissolving into her black energy and phased through the floor, leaving the demonic entity's range filled hands empty and unfulfilled.

Just outside the door the same black energy emerged from the floor and the demonic girl took her true form. Still cradling her broken arm, Raven rose to her feet fighting for her balance. She knew most of her power was now being directed to healing her shattered bones. Quickly realizing that this was done on purpose, not only to distract her, but to render her nearly powerless. She could feel her arm mending slowly, but the fact it had been broken in multiple places and shattered in most of them took more power then she'd normally spare. And the fact she'd used what little power she could spare on her get away meant she didn't have much left.

She stumbled down the hallway knowing full well the demonic force would be coming for her within moments. But it wasn't about her getting away; it was about Raven getting that thing away from her friends and she'd do anything to keep them safe. Even if it meant getting herself killed.

Fear followed closed behind her as she heard the door slide open with great force. Her heart stopped as she glanced back to see the evil eyes of her attacker filled with a predatory need. Her pace quickened and the pain in her arm radiated with every step. Terra who was moving with lightning speed began closing in on her as though Raven were nothing more than a wounded animal. Before she knew it a sharp pain slid across her back and Raven cried out it agony.

She fell to the floor with tears streaming hot down her face. Landing on her already injured arm, she could feel her bones break even more. She felt the demonic eyes watching her struggle as she tried to pull herself up. Suddenly another sweeping pain ran through her back and the feeling of warm blood pooling under her tank top became present on her skin. Raven forced herself to try crawling away, but again the pain of her flesh being torn into was too much to bear. She could feel her shirt becoming soaked with blood and what little strength she had left faded fast.

A cold hand wrapped itself around her thin ankle and forcefully dragged her back. Raven looked back into the wild eyes of her attacker glowing full with anticipation. She tried to fight back against the demonic being, but lack of power and heavy loss of blood had rendered her weak. After receiving a blow to the temple, Raven found herself flat on her back and disorientated, her arm aching in pain.

She felt another blow cross her face and opened her eye to find the same dark silhouette standing over her, eyes wild as ever. "You know Nona we thought you'd put up a better fight, but you just crumbled before us like a human." They said kicking the injured Raven in the ribs.

Raven rolled to her side and gasped for breath, "I am... half human... remember that."

"Don't be proud of that half-breed, your humanity makes you weak and easier to break." Their wretched voices hissed with displeasure. "Now We're only going to ask you this once, so give Us your soul… please."

"You're going to have to kill me first." She spat at Them in revolt.

They swooped down quickly and soon Raven felt the tight grip of Their icy fingers wrapped tightly around her throat. She gasped for air with only the stench of Their sour breath to greet her. "That can be arranged… very… slowly."

"So can this." A voice said and the Terra imposter was thrown hard against the wall.

Raven looked up to find Beast Boy morphing back into his original form. The large bear he was moments ago now useless.

"Raven!" he called out nervously at seeing the gory sight of her. But before he could run to her aid he was thrown to the ground by the demonic being.

Raven cried out in horror as Beast Boy who'd been caught off guard looked up at the vile image of Terra, horrified. The possessed girl viciously clawing at his face and other extremities, trying wildly to wound the young changeling and more than likely kill him to Raven's dismay. Beast Boy fought hard to hold her off, but her strength was proving too much for him. He could see in her eyes that his attacker was driven by nothing but hate and pure rage. He tried desperately to focus his concentration on morphing into a stronger animal, but found himself overwhelmed by what used to be the young blonde.

As this was taking place, Raven fought through her pain to make it to her feet, watching helplessly from the floor. The wounds on her back continued to bleed and in turn made her light headed and unstable. She placed a hand on her broken rib, every breath like a dagger in her side. By now her arm felt almost completely numb and the pounding in her head was become dull. Looking over she saw the green boy's terror and the thing threating to kill him at any moment. An overwhelming fear took over and began uncaging her rawest emotions she'd keep locked up for so long. With one last cry something broke, and something dark fell free.

"Stop!" Her voice echoed through the vacant halls.

Her black energy began to flow through the hall like a tidal wave. The entity halted its attack on the changeling whose eyes went wide as they fell on the half demon. Her image remained the same, but the look in her eyes was different, glowing feral and untamed. Taking Their focus off Beast Boy They turned to the demonic girl with only a black wave to greet them. The black power washed over Them and with a sweep of Raven's hand They were thrown hard into a vacant room, the door slammed shut and locked behind Them.

Focusing her attention on a frightened Beast Boy, Raven moved to his side.

"Raven, please tell me that you're in there?"

"I'm fine Gar, let's go before They tear down the door. I have a plan." Raven said helping the green boy to his feet.

The bleeding in his nose had begun to slow down by now, and his injuries were only superficial, mostly consisting of cuts and bruises. Raven however, was not so lucky. Her arm was still mending and she had three deep gashes in her back. The only upside was that the surge of energy she'd just experienced help slow the bleeding and excel the healing of her bones. The two ran down the hall in hopes of making it to the elevator when they heard a loud crash from behind them. The two heroes stopped and looked back, realizing the crazed demon creature would be after them soon. They picked up the pace and as the sound of destruction could be heard not far behind them.

Reaching the elevator Raven looked back once more to see the door fly open and the dark silhouette of the small girl rush out of the room. Spotting the young heroes, it quickly took off after them. Raven frantically hit the button several times and cursed the contraption for not moving faster, her eyes never leaving the Terra's form. Finally the door slid open and Beast Boy grabbed Raven by her good arm and pulled her inside. Terra's eyes were as rabid as ever, burning full of hatred and blood thirst. She was now only a few feet away and judging by her wild behavior it was clear if she got in the elevator with them, they wouldn't make it out alive. Raven quickly swung her hand and the elevator door quickly shut just as Terra was about to enter. A loud slam hit hard against the metal door, followed by numerous thuds and the muffled sound of unspeakable curse words. Raven quickly hit the button for the medical wing then exhaled and slid down the wall.

"Are you alright, your bleeding?" Beast Boy asked from the other side of the elevator.

Raven looked up with uncertainty, "It's not me I'm worried about, it's you and the others."

The green boy looked down furrowing his brow, "The others are fine Rae, I told Star to lock the door and not to let anyone in under any circumstances. I also told her to punch in Cyborg's reboot code so he can back her up it anything happens."

"What about Robin." She asked as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"He's still out, but he's taken harder hits, he'll be fine Rae." The green changeling replied, placing a hand on her shoulder. "So, you said you had a plan?"

Raven looked over at the battered boy and wiped her tears, "Yeah we have to get that thing down to the medical wing. If I can get her alone with me in the isolation room we may be able to buy some time."

"Wait, wait alone?"

"This is not your fight, it's mine. You've already suffered enough." Raven said as the elevator door slid open.

"But Raven!" the boy spat in protest, "You can't do this alone!"

"I can and I will, Gar. Just make sure the door's locked behind me."

"But that's what it wants, Rae! To get you alone!" frustration was clear in his voice, "We both know that if you go in there with that... with that thing, you're not coming out alive!"

Raven shook her head and sucked back her tears, "I know, and I'm good with that, if that's what it takes to keep you all safe."

"Raven please don't do this, you can't. We can't lose you too."

"Gar, just listen. I have a plan, but it won't work unless I know you and the others are safe. So please just go somewhere and hide until I come get you."

"And what if you don't?"

Raven paused as the possibility of her not making it back to her friends sunk in, "Then get the others, leave the tower, and don't come looking for me."

"Raven?"

"Just go, now!"

The green changeling only looked back at her fighting the need to argue his protest. He'd been taught long ago to never leave a teammate behind and to never take no for an answer. But somehow he knew if he didn't at least get out of sight he'd probably get the both of them killed.

"Ok, but I won't be far," he said reluctantly. Then morphed into a mouse and scurried off to hide in a close by vent.

With Beast Boy out of harm's way (for now) Raven quickly ran to one of the medical supply rooms. Once inside she began looking through the numerous viles of antibiotics, pain medication, and anti-inflammatories, all in such of the main ingredient to her plan. If it had any shot of working it rested solely on Raven finding the right vile.

"Come on where is it?" she scuffed looking through drawers and cabinets. "Oh please still be here."

Raven's anxiety began to overwhelm her as she heard the horrible voices calling her name from down the hall way.

"Shit," she cried quietly and sped up her search.

Finally she'd found what she was looking for hidden among some of the more miscellaneous medication. It was dormosedan, a very powerful tranquilizer mostly used on large animals and in large enough doses, fatal to humans. The only reason the team even had such a powerful drug was for Beast Boy's peace of mind. After his incident with his inner beast, he felt better knowing that drug was there if need be.

Raven heard the door to the medical wing swing open and looked around frantically for a place to hide. She knew soon enough she'd be face to face with Terra's body, but she needed a moment more to be ready. She grabbed the vile of dormosedan and a syringe then pressed her back against the wall, slowly unwrapping the syringe. She could hear the sound of bear footsteps become louder as they approached. She took a moment to think about how much of the drug to administer. If she did too much, Terra would most certainly die, but she was also concerned that if didn't give her enough she wouldn't go down at all.

Terra's body had already endured more than a normal human was capable of and always came back swinging. If she couldn't get her to drop, Raven would mostly likely find herself with little to no options. Roughly doing the math in her head and based off the chemical's potency, Raven decided on delivering a very small dose of 2cc. Concluding that at the least it would slow her down.

Raven pulled back the plunger of the syringe, being very careful not to even get a drop on her skin. She looked closely at the barrel until the proper amount was filled. When she was finished she placed the vile in an open drawer and closed it slowly. She remained as still as possible, trying not to make a sound. She needed to keep her location concealed if she were to gain the upper hand.

_"_ _Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home,_ _your house is on fire, your children shall burn!"_ They sang in a horrid trio _._

They were approaching fast and her time was up. If she couldn't administer the drug then she'd have to fight Them head on, knowing They'd tear her apart.

Their voices grew louder, but Their footsteps slowed _,_ " _Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,_ _your house is on fire and your children are gone,_ _all… except… one!"_

Terra's demonic face came wildly around the corner of the doorway and immediately reached rabidly for Raven's neck. Before she knew it, Raven was on the ground under Their mercy. She pulled her hand back ready to plunge the needle into Terra's human flesh, but before she could do so They spotted the syringe. With Terra's right hand They caught Raven's unbroken wing and clutched it hard, threating to crush it. However, before They could, Raven knocked her head hard against Terra's and Their grip was instantly loosened. She quickly pulled herself away from the disoriented being, losing the syringe in the process and watched it roll under a supply shelf.

In desperation she tried to go after to it, but before she knew it she was being dragged away from the shelf by her ankles. She quickly focused her attention on random objects and began using them as projectiles. Her captor surprised, tried to dodge the heavier ones as she thrashed under Their cold grip. At one point losing Their hold on her and to Their misfortune received a kick in the gut. Raven was able to slip away for only a moment, but it was enough for her to obtain her prize. As her fingers wrapped around the coveted object she was taken again by the hair and thrust hard out of the room against the wall. She became disoriented on impact as all her breath was nearly beaten out of her. In the chaos she dropped the syringe and watched as it was kicked away to a far corner. She was turned to face Them and tried to lash out at the horrible thing before her, but was quickly kicked hard in the stomach. She gasped and collapsed, watching blood spray from her mouth, hitting her attacker's face.

She watched as a finger glided across Terra's bloody face, gathering a reasonable amount on her fingertip and pressed it against her lips. Her eyes cynically filled with lust and colored in jaundice, her pale skin bruised from neglect. Lack of nourishment made her gravely ill and she looked to be at the point of death. Raven could see just how much They were killing her, depriving her of food, water, light and even love. Starving her body and soul of very thing it needed to survive and burying her humanity beneath its twisted nature. Raven could feel herself becoming sick with guilt, knowing that if it weren't for her, Terra wouldn't be trapped in such a Hell and her friends wouldn't have to suffer.

Looking down at her, Their eyes caught a silvery glow in the moonlight, "Hoping for holy intervention are we?" They asked taking the cross in hand. "Do you really think in all of God's creation that he'd spare you? The very thing that will end it all?"

Raven only looked up at Them knowing to explain her attachment to the object would only be used against her. Not to mention any opinion They had of her mother she didn't wish to hear. Trigon had given Arella enough shame for the both of them and Raven now carried the weight of it.

"You know she didn't actually run away, right?"

Raven looked up at the blonde with wide eyes, "What?"

"Your mother, she didn't run away from your grandfather, but still she had no choice, but to come to us." They responded in a somber tone, "She, like you Raven, belongs to Him, it's all part of the deal."

"The Oath?"

"Yes, so to run Raven is fruitless, We'll always come after you and We _will_ take you to Him."

Raven fought to keep her tears contained, feeling helpless and fearful of her past, present, and future. She knew there was more to what They were telling her, that there must've been more secrets than she'd been told.

"They lied to Raven, _Nona_. They told you what they wanted you to know, what they wanted you to think. So make this easier on yourself, call _Him_." They said in a reassuring manner, even faking an almost sympathetic look.

Raven remained silent trying to gather her strength, which didn't come as easily as she wanted when she heard a voice call out to her,

"Don't do it, Raven!" cried Beast Boy from the other side of the room.

"Beast Boy?" She whispered realizing he'd never left.

"Don't listen to the boy, he has no idea how horribly this will end, not just for you, but for your _friends_. Now call Him."

"Raven, Their just trying to use us against you, it's your only weakness Rae, don't let them win."

"Beast Boy get out of here, go get the others, I'll finish this." She replied trying to hold herself together.

"No, Raven, I'm not leaving you with Them!"

"If that's your choice fool then you just signed your own death warrant."

"Don't, please, don't hurt him, he'll go!"

"If you don't want that stupid son of bitch to die then We suggest you call Trigon," They shrieked at her, but Raven hesitated to answer. "Call Him!" A moment of silence went by with not a word from neither Beast Boy or Raven, "Then the boy dies. I hope you enjoy having blood on your consensus girl."

They began to step away, Their sights set on the green changeling standing in the corner. Raven quickly realized Their intensions and sprung into action, letting her more basic instincts take over. She hurried to her feet and tackled the thin girl. Both girls fell into the wall with the small blond taking the brunt of the impact. Raven recovered quickly and drove the girl hard against the wall for a second time. She felt an elbow hit her in her already broken rib and huffed in pain. The low blow gave her advisory enough time go on the offensive. A thin hand wrapped around Raven's throat and quizzed tightly. Raven responded to this by plunging her knee into the blonde's stomach and hitting her hard across the face.

Beast Boy looked on in horror, he'd never seen Raven physically fight someone so viciously before. Her emotions so uninhibited and completely unchained. Raven noticed the demon wasn't using its abilities to overpower her like it had been doing not long ago. This brought her to the conclusion that it (much like her) did not have an endless well of energy to draw from and needed to recharge. However, though this present state had its advantages, she knew it was only buying itself time before it tapped into its power source, and when it did, she was done for. She had to end it and she had to end it now or she'd most likely fall to Their power and her father's influence.

She fell hard against the tile floor; cold clammy hands began to grip at her legs. She pulled her right one free from the chilling grip and kicked out, hitting Terra's already disfigured face. The beast-like creature fell back giving Raven enough time to jump to her feet as she supported herself on a nearby desk. Suddenly she was thrown down on top of it, her head hitting the hard oak top with a strong thrust. She heard Beast Boy cry out to her as her body went limp for a moment.

Beast Boy ran to her aid with the syringe in hand hell-bent on saving his fallen friend. With little effort he was quickly received by the demonic creature and thrown forcefully against the wall. The grip around his throat and wrist tight, cutting of both air and circulation.

"Fool! You wanted to be a hero, but do you know what happens to heroes?" They asked in mockery to the fact that Beast Boy was unable to speak. "They die and they die slowly."

Their grip tightened even more and Beast Boy's eyes began to roll back into his head. Desperate for air he could feel his wind pipe being crushed and life slipping away. White spots were beginning to plague his vision, and only the rabid smile the girl he loved looked back at him. Just as he was about to lose conscious he saw a large object hit the soon to be murder over the head, rendering her unconscious. The green boy gasped, falling to the floor from the a lack of oxygen. He looked up to find Raven holding her hand out as it surged with black energy.

The heavy object fell to the floor as the power was drained from it. Terra seemed to be out cold this time and, with a bit of hesitation, Raven motioned towards Beast Boy who was still catching his breath.

Once she reached him she held out her hand and asked, "Are you alright?"

Without a word he nodded and continued to cough, weak from his previous position.

"Come on we have to get her to the isolation room before she wakes up."

Beast Boy again only nodded as he helped Raven take hold of the girl who was now dead weight. Her body itself didn't weigh very much even when it was of normal weight. But in her current state she roughly weight about eighty-five pounds, being vastly underweight for her size. Raven began to worry about her heart rate which had excelled beyond a healthy rhythm and feared she might have a heart attack.

Raven and Beast Boy eventually managed to pull Terra's almost lifeless body into the isolation room where Raven planned on keeping the rabid girl restrained. Once inside they attempted to lift the girl onto the bed. Within a moment her head suddenly snapped up right and surprisingly regained full consciousness.

Tearing away from their grip the possessed girl lunged at the changeling and sunk her teeth into the flesh of his forearm as he attempted to block her attack. Raven tried to intervene and over power the viscous girl, but instead received a blow to the face and was thrust against the wall by the neck. The demon smiled wildly and spit blood in her face to Raven's disgust.

By now Beast Boy had morphed into a mountain lion and was ready to attack. He pounced and knocked the blonde to the floor. As he was about to lash out at her, the girl began to cry and he paused.

"Please Gar it's me, it's Terra!" She exclaimed.

Beast Boy's predatory facial expression quickly melted away and his form reduced itself back into the shape of a boy. "Terra?" he whispered softly, letting his guard down.

"Gar, No!" Raven shouted, but it was too late the green changeling was swiftly knocked back, hitting his head on the metal frame of the bed. The small girl moved like a rabid animal to his motionless form, ready to tear him apart. But before They could descend on him in all Their hellfire, Raven plunged the needle into Terra's neck and injected the powerful drug into her system.

She immediately became woozy and fell to her side. Raven pulled herself to her shaky feet as the confused being crawled backward.

"What have you done to me?"

Raven looked down at it and with a dry tone and said, "I administered a little _holy intervention_."

Terra's breathing became labored and she fell to the tile as her body gave into the sedative.

Raven sighed in relief and knelt down beside Beast Boy who was now coming to his senses. "You ok?"

"Yeah I'm just gonna have a migraine for a week."

"You're not the only one. Now quick let's get her strapped down before she comes to again." Raven said helping him to his feet once more.

333

Raven stood over the battered girl, her body covered in cuts and unsightly bruises. With the girl heavily restrained Raven had begun tending to her wounds and came to realize the injuries did little to Them. The physical damage Terra had sustained was meant to hurt her, the victim They had no regard for. They couldn't feel Terra's pain, They only drove her forward until her body could go no further.

She looked down at Terra's hands, cover in blood, and abrasions, painfully swollen and bruised to the touch. She'd checked her vitals and was shocked to find them very unstable and feared for the worst. She wasn't sure how much longer Terra's body could last under its current state. As long as They were pulling the strings They'd see to it that her body not heal or take nourishment. Their goal was to destroy the possessed until there is nothing left. The best Raven could do was take care of the physical damage as best she could.

As Raven was in the middle of administering an IV drip she saw the beast beginning to stir. "Did you have a nice nap?"

They neglected to snicker at her dry tone, "You think you're quite clever don't you?"

She rolled her eyes, "Clever enough."

"You're only delaying the inevitable you know?"

Raven remained silent for a moment, but then thought of something she needed to know. "So if you were sent for me, why are you inhabiting Terra?"

"Because hurting your friends is the most effective way of hurting you, your guilt buries you under Our will." They laughed wickedly. "Besides infesting your body would be useless, you'd never be stupid enough to let Us in… even if we could."

"Even if you could?"

"Don't act like you don't know girl!" They shrieked, but Raven remained speechless. "Your already harboring a demon, you always have. It's more a part of you than you let on, but it's there and We saw it tonight. It won't be long now."

Raven swallowed her frustration and undid the clamp on the IV drip.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Giving Terra enough morphine to keep her unconscious for days." She replied emotionlessly.

Terra's face hardened in disapproval, "Then We'll just find another body."

"No you won't, you're not leaving this room until I say so." She cracked a smile, "I took the liberty of binding you to this room. You can't leave unless Terra leaves and after your little performance, I don't think anyone will be bold enough to let you out."

"You stupid little bitch! You'll pay for this, this room won't stop us from collecting you, Trigon will see to it!"

Raven sighed and let out a small laugh, "Trigon's not here." She turned and pulled off her blood soaked shirt over her head revealing her wounds that were almost scabbed over. Wrapping her solid tank top in her hands, she drew a cross on the metal door, sealing the threshold of the entry way. "Let's see you invert that." She said patronizingly.

As she opened the door They looked on at her in fury. "You'll die a thousand times in Hell for this, daughter of Trigon!"

She looked back at Their hatful eyes once more and replied, "Then tell my father when I get there I'm gonna paint Hell red."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	8. There Like A Ghost

The water was falling freely over and around her, yet it couldn't wash it all way. She'd been sitting in the same position for over an hour, her knees pressed close to her chest as she watched the water flow down the drain. She hoped it would cleanse her of those memories, but once again she'd found not even water's purity could rid of them.

Those images plagued her mind, replaying themselves like photographs she wished to burn. For the most part, she'd lost track of time and was too lost in her own head to even consider how long she'd been sitting in the shower. Her mind rested on everything she'd taken in over the last forty-eight hours and it was almost too much to take.

She'd sat back helplessly while a demonic entity physically and mentally wounded her friends and she was nearly powerless to stop Them. She began to think about how all this was not only affecting her, but also her fellow teammates. Looking down at the water circling the drain she thought back to a conversation she'd had with Beast Boy only hours ago. She recalled him waiting for her outside the door. She looked over at him, his eyes empty, peering up at the monitor where Terra could be seen trying to thrash about. Raven could feel him pulling at her empathy and his disbelief heavy on his brow.

"Do you think we'll ever get her back?" He questioned.

Raven ran her fingers through her hair, unsure of whether to be honest with him or fill his head with false hope. In the end she decided to tell him the truth. "I don't know Beast Boy, but if we don't figure out something soon, I don't think Terra's body will make it much longer."

Raven began filling a bag with medical supplies to help treat the others when she heard Beast Boy ask, "If she dies, what will happen to her?"

Raven felt her knees give a little and leaned on her left arm for support. "I don't know Gar, there's a lot of speculation as to what happens to one's soul once this phase called life has ended."

"I'm not asking about what other people think Rae, I'm asking what you think."

She turned to him and let her face fall. She wasn't really sure what to tell him; she didn't quite know herself.

"I think possession is an infestation of the body, not the soul, and if she does die she'll go to a better place. If there really is a God, he won't punish her for this."

She bit her lip for a moment then turned around and went back to packing medical supplies.

"I hope you're right Raven, not just for Terra, but… but for the both of you." She turned to find him standing there, now eye to eye with her, "Here Rae," he said placing her mother's cross into her hand.

She took it and held it for a minute, thankful that it wasn't lost. Raven couldn't find any words to respond and only managed to crack a weak smile for Beast Boy. It was clear by his voice that he understood her choice of words. That she secretly feared what would happen to her upon her own death. She'd always acted as though the concept of her own demise didn't bother her, but in truth, it terrified her. And at the end of the day she only knew as much as the rest of humanity and it was nothing but speculation.

"Hey Rae," Beast boy said, "They called you Nona. Why did they do that, what does it mean?"

Raven took a deep breath. She knew she'd have to answer that question eventually, but she still hated having to do it. "It means 9, that's what my father named me."

"Why 9?"

"Every demon has a number, mine is 9. Trigon's is 3 because it's the number of man; it's that symbolic link that allows man to be corrupted. 3 is the origin that also links 9 and 6 to the link as well. They're also the foundation of number set like 36, 72 and 999 which also lead back to 9. it's a demonic numder"

"So what does 9 even mean Rae? It has to add up to something?" He said with a bewildered look on his face.

"Because 9 always represents the end. I am the end, I always will be." A disheartened look took over Raven's features as the words fell from her lips.

"But I thought you defeated your father?"

"I thought I did too." Raven finished packing her supplies and placed the bag over her shoulder.

"Raven, let me take that, you're hurt." He insisted.

"I'm fine Beast Boy," she replied moving to the elevator. She'd already shown more weakness in the last two days than she'd ever done in her 18 years of living.

Once the elevator door opened he followed her inside and the door closed. Raven placed the bag on the floor and let her body sink down beside it, feeling fatigue starting to set in. Her body was now fresh out of adrenalin and any energy she had left was hard a work mending her wounds. This made even standing a tiring task.

Beast Boy looked down at her, her mind hard at work running over all the ways that everything was her fault. It was something he hated about her and blamed it on her upbringing. He felt the monks who raised her spent so much time focusing on how she'd be Trigon's end game that they never really thought about what would happen if she wasn't.

Raven looked up at him, catching him off guard and he looked away awkwardly. "Beast Boy?"

"Yeah, Rae?"

"Thanks for not leaving me behind." She smiled and Beast Boy took on a look of pride. "But you're still an idiot for doing so, you could have been killed."

"Well, I wasn't," he replied shrugging off her insult, but happy to see her doing so. "So Rae, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"So how long have you and Robin been-"

"This really isn't the time." Raven said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, it never is with you."

"Fuck off." She spat.

"Hey I get it, being in a relationship with a teammate is difficult. That's why I'm asking Rae."

She sighed and tilted her head back, "About a year."

Beast Boy smiled, "Hmm, that's pretty good. Did Robin ever tell you why he and Starfire didn't workout?"

Raven furrowed her brow at the question and said, "No, we never really talked about it. What happened between them is their business."

"True, but I think you could learn a thing or two about relationships Rae."

"Okay all-knowing wiseass, what am I missing?"

"Full discloser, Robin never told Starfire anything. Sound familiar?" The changeling questioned.

"No, he tells me everything." Raven replied playing a little dumb.

"You know what I meant Rae," he responded, not falling for her act.

Raven rolled her eyes and shook her head at the thought she was actually getting relationship advice from of all people, Beast Boy. _Am I really that hopeless?_ She thought as the changeling continued.

"Listen Raven, you can sit there and pretend I have no idea what I'm talking about, but if you and Robin don't tell each other everything then you two will never make it as a couple."

The elevator doors opened, revealing the long dark wall way. Down the end they could see Cyborg pop his head out from behind the corner where he spotted the two. The two Titans heard him call out to Robin and Starfire who quickly poured out of the room. Beast Boy looked over at Raven who was trying to find the strength to pull herself up and moved toward her with his hand out. Taking the bag in one hand and Raven's hand in the other, he helped her to her feet.

When she was steady he pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, "Just talk to your boyfriend Rae, that's what he's there for."

Beast Boy stepped away and exited the elevator to greet his fellow teammates who were happy to see them both alive.

"Oh thank God you two are alright, I was worried," Cyborg said with a sigh of relief.

"God didn't have much to do with it." Beast Boy replied, more cynically than he normally would.

Raven stepped out of the elevator where she was received with hug from Cyborg, "You okay kid?"

Raven took a deep breath and repressed her urge to cry, though she so badly wanted to, "I'll be fine Cye."

"I'm here if you need me, Rae."

Raven nodded and smiled as Cyborg freed her from his arms. She looked to her left to see Robin, rubbing his head as he'd just regained consciousness. He still looked unstable and dizzy, but his eyes opened with horror when they fell on a blood covered Raven. Raven looked down at herself, realizing she was hardly wearing anything except for her shorts and her white sports bra which now bore a deep red. Her arm was still almost immobile and her skin was bathed in various shades of blood.

"Raven," he whispered, keeping his eyes hidden behind his mask.

Still, Raven knew that Robin felt defeated. He couldn't keep her safe and he was afraid he couldn't save her. Her heart sunk as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Resting his chin on the crook of her neck she heard him whisper, "I'm sorry."

Raven tried to swallow her empathy, but chocked on it as it caught in her throat. Weakly, she rested her head on Robin's shoulder and looked up to see Starfire standing about five feet away. She looked on at the two birds for a moment and faked a smile. Raven could see the hurt in her eyes as Starfire shakily nodded her head and turned around. Slowly she disappeared down the dark hallway, only leaving the slight air of her emotions behind.

Raven wanted to go after the girl, but just didn't have the strength to. Raven and Beast Boy explained what happened with Terra and how she was heavily sedated in the medical wing until they could come up with a solution. Before Cyborg left to go repair his systems, he helped Robin clean and bandage the two wounded Titans. Raven insisted that she would be fine by morning and told them to take care of themselves (which both Robin and Cyborg ignored).

Once Robin was finished helping patch up Beast Boy, he took the tried girl to his room as Raven's looked a bit like a crime scene. Normally Raven would have protested, but in her condition she knew she'd never win. Once inside his bedroom, he swung open the bathroom door and turned on the shower.

"While you get cleaned up I'm gonna go find you some clothes to sleep in, then when you're done I'll splint your arm."

Raven nodded and followed her leader into the bathroom. As the water heated up Robin helped remove Raven's bloody clothing as it was too painful for her to do herself.

"Let me know if you need anything," Robin added before leaving her to her lonesome (which he was reluctant to do).

Raven faked a tired smile and once again nodded stepping into the shower. As soon as she heard the door close she broke down, letting her body collapse beneath the water. Her strength completely gone and her mind tangled in guilt and confusion. Thinking hard about her mother and what They'd said. She'd been told by her mother and Azar that Arella had grown up in a physically and emotionally abusive home and just before her 17th birthday finally got up the nerve to run away. After a few months of living on the streets she was taken in by a group of seemingly harmless people. They didn't just give her mother food and a place to sleep, they gave her a sense of family she'd never had before. But, what she didn't realize was that sense of family would make her blind.

They slowly brainwashed a young and naïve Arella, using her vulnerability against her. They promised her the family she'd always wanted and all it would cost was her trust. But that trust she'd find to be misplaced in a cult, in dealings with the Devil, himself.

Raven waded through the details of her mother's story, unsure of what she was looking for. Time seemed to have stopped and it's concept undone. The young girl was trapped deep in her own mind, imprisoned in memories and fragments of words that once shattered long ago.

"Raven, Raven? Where are you my little Lady Bird?" I faint voice called, catching Raven's attention. It was familiar and soft, sounding nostalgic like an old memory, like a ghost.

Raven slightly turned her head and through the curtain she saw a blurred silhouette moving slowly behind it.

"Mother?" She whispered under her breath. A slight pulse of fear held her heart for a moment as she wasn't sure what to make of the apparition.

"Raven, I know you're there, you don't have to hide from me." The voice continued as finger tips softly ran along the curtain. "Don't be afraid my daughter, Fate will guide you. Just remember one thing."

"What?"

"Remember, I named you Raven…"

Raven lifted her head, "Mother, mother?"

"Raven, Raven?" She heard her name being called though distant in her mind.

"Raven?..." The curtain flew open and Raven looked up to see Robin staring down at her. He quickly shut off the water and threw a fresh towel over her bear skin then knelt down beside her. "You've been in here this whole time, haven't you?"

She nodded and looked down at the last of the water slipping below the drain. Robin placed a hand on her back, unsure of what to say and just suggested that they get her dressed. He'd apparently fallen asleep while waiting for her to get out of the shower and was startled to find she'd been in there for nearly two hours. This didn't completely surprise him though. He knew Raven had a notion about water and that something about it that made her feel safe.

Afterwards Robin was hard at work mending Raven's arm. She insisted that it would be fine by morning, but he wouldn't take no for answer.

"I don't know why you have to be so stubborn?" He huffed.

"You're one to talk," Raven replied.

He smiled and continued wrapping her arm. "Well I learned from the best." He said referring to the Bat, himself. Raven smiled, letting her focus slip away once more. "You and Starfire still aren't talking?"

She frowned remorsefully, "No, I guess not; I can't say I blame her though. I'm a terrible friend."

"You're not; she just needs time to adjust." Robin placed his hand on her cheek, "Did you ever think that maybe it's not us she has a problem with?"

"To be honest, I really haven't had much time to think." She paused and looked away for a moment. "Beast Boy said that the reason you and Starfire broke up was because you wouldn't tell her anything. Is that true?"

Robin looked up at her surprised, but quickly composed himself. "Yes and no."

"What happened?"

"It just didn't fit right." He said with a shrug. "Don't get me wrong I cared for her and I still do, but there was always something missing, like we were always just short of something. It just felt… empty."

Raven pressed her lips together, "Do ever feel empty with me?"

"No, but I do feel lost with you sometimes." Robin said looking down at her arm.

"Because I don't tell you anything."

Robin sluggishly shook his head, "I can't force you to tell me everything. I understand that, but-"

"But now you know how Starfire felt." Raven said cutting him off.

Robin remained silent, but Raven could see in his eyes that she'd hit the nail right on the head. He just didn't want to admit it. "It's late, we can talk more about this in the morning," he said picking up the rest of the medical supplies and placing them on his desk.

A frustrated look fell over her face, "For real, I'm actually willing to talk about our relationship and you're dismissing me?"

"Raven, it's three in the morning. I'm tired and to top it all off, I almost lost you tonight and there was nothing I could do to stop it." He said with angst in his voice.

Raven shook her head, "Don't make this about your ego."

"My fucking ego; really Rae? I just watched all our friends almost die, this is beyond my ego!"

"So what, you're blaming me for this?"

"No, of course not. Just because you blame yourself for everything doesn't mean I do."

Raven didn't respond for a moment knowing that Robin had just uncovered a truth she couldn't deny.

"But you know what I don't understand?" Robin continued, "Of all the nights you choose to open up, you pick the one night I don't want to."

"So what, because I almost died you think you can just push me away, that's bullshit." She spat bitterly.

"Pushing you away," he laughed," that's all you ever do, and the sad thing is you think you're protecting me! Well surprise! You're not. You're just driving the knife in a hell of a lot deeper."

"That's an awfully cruel thing to say."

"It's the truth Rae, I'm sorry it hurts."

"Why do you think I avoid it?"

"Raven, stop! You're digging up shit that doesn't need to be dug up!" He growled through grit teeth. "Where are you going?"

"My room. I'm done having this dead end conversation with you." Raven said moving to the door in a an even tone.

"Raven wait, I don't want you to leave." Robin insisted breaking away from his anger for a moment.

"Well, Dick, sometimes the little prince doesn't always get what he wants." Raven hissed before storming out of the room. The only sound she could hear was Robin growling with anger as his fist hit the wall, causing him cursed in pain.

"You should have never have asked me to stay." She whispered to herself and continued to walk down the hall.

She entered her room and locked the door behind her. Turning on the light, she looked around at how disheveled her room was. Blood still stained the carpet and some of her things lay broken on the floor before her. Raven shook her head deciding the cleanup could wait until the morning and moved to her bathroom. She flicked on the light happy to find it still intact and picked up her tooth brush to begin brushing her teeth. As she was doing so she leaned against her doorframe, looking at the dismay before her eyes, slowly reliving the chaos. Her vibrant eyes caught another glimpse of blood that was more visible, resting on her meditation mirror. For some reason she found the thought revolting and a sickness suddenly tightened in her stomach. Nausea took over and Raven fought back the urge to vomit, almost gagging. She leaned against the counter trying to regain control over her body, unsure why it was reacting so poorly. After a few minutes of deep breathing she carried herself to her bed and slipped beneath the covers.

Looking up at the black ceiling, her mind once again began its torturous journey through her thoughts and memories. Mostly looking back on the past that brought her to this present, thinking of how each event played itself out, and why it mattered.

It was almost a year after their trip to Tokyo and for once the city was quiet to the point Robin was becoming paranoid that something awful was in the works. However, no one seemed to be planning anything, not even Slade. (There just wasn't anything provoking interest in the city.) Raven had become a little less guarded (but nothing out standing by any means). Robin and Starfire's eight month romance had abruptly come to end a few months prior, leaving them to work through the after math.

Raven could recall many days where the two wouldn't even speak to each other and could hardly even look in one's general direction. This made for a few awkward moments that Raven did not entirely understand. She just knew that Starfire was crushed and Robin was too. He just did a better job at hiding it from the others, but not Raven. However, she still didn't know the more delicate details of their relationship and for the most part, she did care to. All that mattered was that they kept their animosity to themselves and didn't let it divide the team, which it didn't.

For the most part their love suffered a quiet death and they didn't discuss it with anyone (at least not to her knowledge). They never asked anyone to pick sides or poison the team's opinions of one another. The most it ever came to was they didn't speak to one another for roughly a month unless it were necessary.

In this time Beast Boy had finally gotten over Terra and was actually dating a young lady named Jillian Jackson, who Raven (to her surprise) actually liked. She was a far cry from Terra being more socially rebellious and bore a very "punk" aesthetic which made her more unique. Jillian was also easy to get along with and really cared for her Beast Boy. And to everyone's surprise she actually fit in with the Titans quite well. (Until Terra came running back.)

Raven recalled the look on the green boy's face when he saw her standing on their door step, begging for their help. Raven hadn't realized it at the time, but that was the moment everything began to fall into place. Her memories cascaded, replaying how things between Jillian and Beast Boy fell apart. How she and Jinx formed their understanding, putting both Jinx and Terra in the line of fire. She relived how she and Robin began their relationship and all the questions she'd asked herself regarding it. Remembering how unconventional their beginning was and how many obstacles seemed to fall in their way.

_He needed me to stay. He just couldn't let me go, could he, s_ he thought, letting her mind drift off as her consciousness slipped away and fell into a meditative state.

333

She looked down the long hallway cast in shadows and littered with unlit candles. The overwhelming quiet refused to cease and the darkness remained unlifted. The end of the hallway was too dark to see the end, giving Raven little guidance as to how far its distance. Through the thick of the dark Raven saw a shadow moving toward her. In fear and hesitation she held her breath, unsure of what may emerge from its depths. As it moved closer she began to make out a shape though it was vague through the various shades of black hovering around it. From what Raven could tell it was a hooded figure holding something towering in its hand.

She backed away slightly feeling threaten by the unknown presence. The figure still persisted to move closer forcing Raven to continue to keep the distance between them. After a few more steps Raven found herself with her back against the wall with no escape. She tried to tap into her power, but found it dormant in its cage. A wave of panic came over her as she felt trapped and unnerved, awaiting the arrival of what was to come next.

The figure came closer and moved the object to its center without even a word. Raven heard the sound of a deep breath being drawn in and saw the figure pull back its posture as it took in the thin air. It exhaled with great power and suddenly the object in its hand caught flame, revealing a familiar face. The candle light dance across the young woman's face as Raven looked into her dark blue eyes and muttered, "Abigail?"

She pressed a finger to her lips, "Shhh, he'll hear you." She replied in a soft whisper.

"Who?"

"The family ghost." Abigail held out her hand, silently asking for Raven to take it.

Raven took hold of the girl's delicate hand and Abigail turned. The two young women ventured forward as though led by the light of the candle. Raven watched as the flame danced wildly, dissolving the shadows that dare come into its path. She almost envied its resolve, considering how small it was compared to the overwhelming darkness that filled the old house it dared to hold flame to.

The two began to descend the stairs which were narrow and cried beneath their feet. "Where are we?" Raven asked, keeping her voice soft and thin.

"We are where it all started Raven, this is where he made the Oath." Abigail replied.

"My grandfather?"

"No." Abigail sighed

"Then who?"

Abigail turned on the landing and faced the young sorceress, her face tense. "I'm taking you to the cellar; there you'll find the family secret." She once again turned, pulling Raven along with her like a child.

Once the two reached the bottom of the steps Raven looked around and began to recognize her surroundings.

"The cellar door is at the end of the hallway." Abigail whispered.

Walking through the foyer Raven could recognized the shadowy hallway and the doorway off to her left. "This is the house from my dreams," She gasped quietly causing Abigail to turn once more.

"Yes, except this place isn't just in your dreams." Her words made Raven's skin crawl and she hesitated to follow her.

Abigail tightened her grip and pulled Raven forwards a few more steps. The cellar was now only a few feet away and the darkened outline of the door was becoming visible in the candlelight. Abigail let go of Raven's hand and moved to the door. Before opening it she turned to Raven again and said, "Do you know what awaits you on the other side of this door?"

"A really dark cellar?" Raven replied with a surprising amount of sarcasm.

"It's more than just a cellar, it's your place of origin. Your future was born here and your family died here, down there. They're trapped here, because of the Oath."

Raven furrowed her brow and fear took over her face. "You know about the Oath?"

Abigail snickered, "Of course I do, I'm part of it."

"How?"

Abigail waved her hand and the door cracked open, slowly riding its old hinges as it swung ajar. "Go down there and you'll find out."

Raven winced at the sound of Abigail's voice. She knew there was something awful awaiting her at the bottoms of the stairs. Lurking deep in the shadows ready to receive her and pull her into the depth of its dark Hell. She moved forward looking down to see no end to the darkness, only a hollow nothingness, pulling the strings of her fear.

"Aren't you coming?" Raven asked looking back at Abigail.

Her face fell and she looked away for a moment, "No." She looked back at the young raven, her eyes filled with regret, "I don't really like it down there."

Raven nodded, putting aside her reservations and placed her hand on the railing, taking a step down.

"He thinks you look like her." Abigail whispered.

A chill ran up Raven's spine and she stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" She whimpered turning quickly, finding herself face to face with the dead.

He resembled the man she'd seen on the porch and dressed like a Victorian gentleman, his face baring the effects of death. Raven gasped, but before she could physically act on her fear, the man lifted his arms and pushed her hard. Raven fell back, her fingertips nearly grazing the railing as she attempted to reach out for it. She could feel her body plummeting downward as she looked up at the horrid face that watched her helplessly falling to the bottoms of the stairs.

Her body crashed down on her bed as though it were nothing more than dead weight. Her eyes flew open as she cried out. In a cold sweat she sat up, fear still present at her side. Raven looked around to find her surrounding were as she'd left them and that she was still in her room. The sun was now peering through her window giving her a false sense of hope, but it was better than nothing. She laid down for a minute and gathered herself, the face of the mysterious man still infesting her mind.

Once she caught her breath she focused her attention on her arm which was now no more than a slight fracture that would be gone in hours. She pulled herself out of bed and absent mindedly began cleaning. Placing her things back in their rightful places and disposing of the things that remained broken. She entered her bathroom and pulled out a bucket of cleaning supplies in an attempt to clean the blood from the carpet. She spent over an hour diligently scrubbing, but with no luck. The solid carpet remained tainted and would forever bear the stain of that memory, much like her.

In frustration she cried out, throwing the scrub brush at the door and slammed her broken wing against the water bucket, sending it flying backward. Water splashed around her freely as she continued to slam her arm against the floor, feeling the pain with each blow. She finally stopped when she felt her bone fracture further down her arm. The pain throbbed beneath her skin, but for a moment she felt numb and everything just ceased to exist, including herself.

"Raven is everything ok in there?" she heard Cyborg question from behind the door.

Raven swallowed her anger and wiped her tears, "Yes I'm fine, just losing my sanity is all."

"Can I come in?"

Raven lifted her hand and watched as the door slid open, revealing the robotic man. He stepped inside and looked down at the visibly aggravated girl. "Can't seem to get the stain out?" He asked noticing the cleaning supplies and now empty bucket of water.

"No and I never can." She replied, letting a lonely tear roll down her cheek.

"That's a part of life Rave, sometimes you can wash your hands clean of a mess and sometimes you can't."

"What if we can't save her Cye, what if she dies and it's all my fault?" Raven whimpered as Cyborg wrapped his arms around her.

"We'll deal with that if it comes Rae, and it will if you give up on her that easily, and you can't. We can't." She nodded as Cyborg continued, "And I know this probably isn't the time, but you need to talk to Starfire. I don't know what's wrong with her, but I think she needs you."

Raven pulled away and shook her head, "Why would she need me? I broke her heart, I betrayed her?"

"Before you make that your conclusion, just talk to her, ok? We need this team whole Rae, and we're already fractured."

333

It was a warm day as the sun shined brightly overhead. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore would normally bring her a sense of calm, but today it didn't, it hadn't in a long time. The things that brought her joy seemed to matter less with each passing day. Her taste for life had become bland and unsavory, she had no longing and nothing to fulfill. It was as though her need to keep going was gone, but her shell still remained.

She looked down at her garden filled with withering flowers no longer possessing life. They reminded her of herself, once lovely and vibrant, but now atrophied and wilted. "They're all dead." she muttered aloud, holding a dead iris in her hand.

"That's the thing about flowers, if you don't take care of them, they die." She heard a graveled voice say.

Starfire turned from her grim garden to face Raven who stood only a few feet away. "Is that so?" She replied, then turned away and placed her focus back on the lifeless garden.

"Star, I know you hate me right now and I don't blame you, but please hear me out." Raven pleaded.

Starfire stopped what she was doing for a moment and shook her head, "I do not hate you Raven," she sighed, "but it does disappoint me that you'd think of me to be so, petty." She picked up a daisy and held it in her hands. "It is not your romance with Robin that troubles me, it is that you thought I could not dismiss my feelings and be happy for you." Starfire once again turned to face Raven and began to walk forward. "You are indeed my friend Raven, and if you are happy with Robin then I am too, happy."

Starfire presented Raven with the lifeless daisy and Raven let her tears fall from her glassy eyes. "You are far more loyal than I Starfire, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to hurt you."

"I know friend Raven, but the hurt is something we all must experience. If we did not hurt then we would not know what love meant."

"Do you still love him?"

Starfire closed her eyes, "Why yes friend Raven I do, but there will always be a part of me that does so. I just have to remember why I did the breaking up with him in the first place."

"Why did you."

"Because he did not love me as deeply as one should." Starfire looked out to the bay, "I thought that maybe with time that would change, but it never did. It was quite difficult, but I had to do the letting go. I deserved more."

"Why didn't you ever tell me." Raven asked.

"Because I did not want to bother you with my romantic ironies."

"Have you been reading the dictionary again?" Raven asked jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. "And you can bother me with any irony you'd like, Star."

Starfire smiled and hugged the dark girl, though with hardly any of her usual strength.

"What's wrong Star?" Raven asked feeling her friend's physically diminished strength.

"I do not know friend Raven, I have had more undesirable feelings lately." The alien replied weakly. "These feelings I do not understand and they give me little hope." Starfire pulled away and knelt down next to her garden again. "I feel much like these earth flowers. Before I was filled with life and warmth, but now I am only cold and frail with no inner or outer beauty to offer the world."

Raven could feel her heart break for her friend. Never had she heard Starfire say such things and to hear her say them about herself left her with a guilty sadness.

"That isn't true Star. You have plenty of warmth and beauty to offer the world." Raven leaned over and picked up the withered iris Starfire'd been holding only moments ago. "The other thing about flowers is that with enough care they can come back to life."

Starfire's eyes widened as the iris began to flourish, becoming soft and delicate, its rich violet color filling its dead petals with life. "Friend Raven, how did you do such a glorious thing?" She asked with what little excitement she could muster.

Raven smiled, "Resurgence, it's one of my newer abilities, but it only works on small things." She said giving Starfire the renewed flower. "There is always hope Star, please remember that. I promise you I will fix this and you will flourish again just like this iris."

Starfire let a tear fall from her eye and pulled Raven into a hug, "Thank you Raven."

"No, thank you Starfire, you've help me see things much differently, thank you."


	9. The Eye

The box lay open on her desk. A trail of the raven and crow colored feathers trailed from the closet where it had been hidden away. She'd been staring at it for over an hour, still perplexed by its mystery and strange aura. Slowly reaching out her small hands, she took the lid in her grasp. The nails were still in place from where they'd been driven, though badly bent from being pried open. Raven looked down at the deep scratches worn into the hard oak. Their texture ravenous and cruel, much like the cuts on her body. Looking at the nails she noticed their color was tarnished and flex of silver showed themselves in the light.

"Silver spikes?" She whispered curiously.

Placing the lid down, Raven turned her attention to the box itself. Carefully she removed some of the feathers and placed them in a jar on her desk. As she did so she noticed that among the many feathers were an assortment of insects, mostly beetles like the one that bit Terra. Their sleek bodies were as black as squid's ink and their fierce pinchers were sharp and jagged. Picking up one of the carcasses she looked at it closely, astonished by its great size.

"No wonder Starfire was so afraid of this thing." Raven said realizing how odd and peculiar the specimen was. She'd never actually seen a beetle quite like it before and for that very reason she knew it wasn't a good sign.

Among these dead beetles she also found many black moths hidden among the feathers. She recalled learning about the symbolic nature of these insects from Azar and how they were signs of negativity and evil. Large black beetles denoted a negative presence in one's life, and were also believed to be a creature that harbored demonic power and bad luck. She remembered Azar telling her how they symbolized unhappiness and if it attached itself to someone it would feed off their life force. This was similar to what she knew about black moths which were commonly omens of death and unhappiness. The fact these creatures now laid at rest within the old relic only gave her a more grim sense as to what it was.

Taking a moment she thought back to the first time she'd taken the old box in her hands. "There was something in here." Raven said realizing the object that gave the box more weight was no longer there. "Terra must have taken it."

Raven stood up unsure and confused. With little guidance she turned away from the box and exited her room. She moved down the hallway, her eyes blank and her mind unsound. She knew where she was going, but she wasn't sure what for. She stopped in front of Terra's door with regret and hesitation clear in her eyes. She held out her hand and nervously opened it. Before entering, Raven was over taken by the scent of death much similar to the smell she'd encountered in the common room the night she'd found Terra there. The smell was sickening and caused her eyes to tear. Covering her mouth and nose she entered the dark room and flicked on the light.

Her room was filthy and filled with curious flies that furiously hovered around her head. Their presence offended her in a manner which did not sit right with her. Flies were commonly believed to denote an irritation in one's life and to swat at a fly indicated the physical need to kill or to cease the irritation. Also, swarms of flies were commonly thought to be the physical embodiments of demonic entities and also a sign of a coming disaster. But still she pressed on though unsure of what she was looking for.

"Raven what are doing?" Beast boy said from the doorway.

Raven turned to him, hesitant to take her hand away from her mouth, but did so anyway. "I'm looking for something."

"What?"

"That's the thing, I don't really know yet."

"Then how do you know what to look for?"

Raven shook her head knowing how ridiculous the conversation sounded, "Because I'll know when I see it, if that makes any sense?" She replied noticing Beast Boy didn't even seem fazed by the smell. This perplexed her mostly because his sense of smell was far more potent than hers or any Titan for that matter.

"Nothing makes sense to me anymore," He replied entering the room, "but I'll help you look. Any idea what it looks like?"

"Um, small enough to fit in that old box and heavy enough to give it weight. It's possibly made of metal."

"Ok, so everything in the kitchen, got it." Beast Boy said sarcastically.

Raven rolled her eyes, "Just look for something old that doesn't belong in a sixteen year old girl's room."

"So everything in your room."

Raven shook her head and turned her attention over to Terra's dresser. "Now if I were trying to hide something I didn't want anyone to find, where would I put it."

"Oh, it's that kind of a thing." Beast boy said perking his ears up.

He got down on his knees and slid his arm under the bed then reached inside of Terra's box spring. He looked up at Raven for a moment with a questionable look on his face, as though he had something in his hand.

"Did you find something?"

"I don't know I think so- Ahhh! Something's got me, help!" He screamed and began to thrash.

"Beast Boy!" Raven cried, pulling the boy from the bed.

"Just kidding Rae, here ya go." Beast Boy said with a small fit of laughter as though proud of his poor taste in judgment.

Raven furrowed her brow and hit the young changeling with the back of her hand, "That's not fucking funny you shit-head."

"Ouh Rae that hurt."

"Good, give me that." She spat with disapproval.

Raven sat down on Terra's bed, taking the old shoe box out of her teammate's hands. She hesitated to open it, feeling a little guilty she was about to invade Terra's privacy, but knew it was for the best. Pulling the lid open she found an assortment of pictures scattered freely within the box. A bitter sweet look filled her eyes as she looked upon both the faces of her teammates and those of whom she'd never met. Moving some of the pictures aside she found a broken, heart-shaped box made of glass. Looking over at Beast Boy she saw his mood completely change and his eyes become glassy.

"You gave this to her, didn't you?" Raven asked picking up the box.

Beast Boy only nodded and turned away as though reality once again came crashing down on him. Raven placed the delicate glass down and continued to dig through the old shoe box until her fingers felt something odd. At the end of her fingertips she felt the cold chill of metal. Her fingers began to trace its odd shape unsure of what it was. Gliding along the edge of the object she felt a chain and took hold of it, pulling it into the light.

"What the hell is that thing?" Beast Boy sneered.

In front of them she held an odd looking necklace, with disturbing and macabre features. It was in the shape of a demonic beast, with wings spread wide. Its black iron body was heavy and constructed in great detail. But what really caught their attention was the rather large eye that protruded from its lower half.

"Uhh, honestly, I don't know, but I had a dream about it." Raven replied, still holding the relic.

"How did you know Terra even had it?"

"I didn't."

"Why does creepy stuff always happen to you, Rae?"

"Because my life is like one long King Diamond album," she said placing the necklace down.

Beast Boy laughed, "Yeah, but with less guitars and all of the theatrics."

Raven cracked a smile and looked down at the broken glass beside her. Taking it in her hands again she held it, looking up at Beast Boy. "I'm really sorry this is happening to her Gar."

She watched as his head fell and his face along with it. She could feel how torn up he was inside though he tried hard to prevent it from rising to the surface. Beast Boy had always been the most forward of the Titans, making his opinions known even when they weren't welcome. But now it seemed he just felt as lost and confused as the rest of them.

"I just keep telling myself this is all just one very twisted nightmare. That I'll wakeup any minute, yet here I am, still asleep." He looked away for a moment trying to hold back his tears. "I'm coming to the conclusion that I'm awake now, and that I was only dreaming before."

"Welcome to my life"

333

The elevator ride seemed longer than the two and a half minutes it took to reach the lower level where the medical wing was located. When the door finally slid open she took a long breath, trying to center herself. Walking out into the hallway she braced herself and moved forward, knowing the encounter may raise more questions than answers.

As she walked down the hallway, she pulled together her shaky confidence, knowing to face Them she'd need to be at her best. At the end of the hall her eyes settled on the metal door and what waited just behind it. Before opening it she looked over at the monitor to see the overly worn girl out cold, most likely dreamless, trapped in a nightmare. She knew what she was about to do was risky, but she needed answers and knew this was where she needed to start.

Entering, she pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside. She immediately motioned to the IV stand and tightened the clamp on the line, knowing the lack of morphine would cause her to stir. With the line clamped she knew it wouldn't be long, and took a seat at the foot of the bed and waited. The wait itself took longer than she'd realized and about an hour and a half later she finally saw the beast awaken.

"Rise and shine sleepy head." She muttered in a flat voice.

"You stupid little bitch." Terra muttered in a tired and very raspy voice. "Come to rub in your and short lived victory have you?"

Raven scrunched her nose as a look of confusion took over her features, "What's up with the single tone today? Are you all alone in there?"

The girl's eyes suddenly lit up with loathing as she snorted, "No, WE have your little friend to keep us company. We find her quite amusing actually." They stared up at Raven with a sinister smile, enjoying her guilt. "She can feel herself rotting you know, all the pain she's endured, it just makes her strings much easier to pull."

Raven felt her rage start to boil, almost burning on her skin, and for a moment completely forgot herself. With a swift movement she thrust down her hand and wrapped it around Terra's neck and pressed down tightly.

"Just as your inner demon is finding it easier to pull yours." They added wickedly, causing Raven to halt in horror.

She quickly pulled her hand free from Terra's neck, remembering They'd never feel a thing only the dying girl. In disgust she turned around trying to take control over the situation, and herself.

"No one is pulling my strings, but me. Not even Trigon." She insisted and moved back to the foot of the bed.

They snickered, "Oh why little Lady Bird you are so very convincing, but not convincing enough. Deep down you know what you are, what you are here for. You're only a few steps away, you just have to jump." They began to laugh in their multiple tones, causing Raven's skin to crawl at its evil sound. "So now tell Us little girl, why did you come down here?"

Raven looked back at Them as They squirmed and pulled longingly at Their restraints. They were trying to entice her, make her lose her temper and play Their game. _But maybe that's what I have to do?_ Raven questioned to herself.

"What is this thing?" She asked holding up the necklace.

They rolled Terra's head back, "Oh you found it, and We thought you'd never notice it was missing."

"Yes, I found it. Now what is it and don't make me ask again."

"Or what? You'll kill your miserable friend? Because We'll just go find another one. That pretty little alien or even your pet bird, they both look ripe for the taking." They hissed, laughing wickedly.

Raven took a deep breath and held back her urge to drive her fist into the thing's wretched mouth, knowing it wouldn't do any good. She reached her hand under her cloak and pulled something small from it, keeping it concealed in her hand.

"What is that?"

"Something you're not going to like very much. It's on acquired taste really." Raven said approaching the curious creature and holding up a small bottle of holy water.

"So you're turning to God now you little witch!" They sneered in Terra's everyday voice, trying to provoke the old animosity the two girls held for each other.

"You see now this is the part where I become really sick of your shit and if need be I'll burn out your tongue if I don't get any answers."

"You stupid bitch, if you burn out her tongue then We won't be able to tell you anything!" They hissed mockingly.

"Yeah I'm aware of that, but I am also really sick of your lip so it's really a win-win for me." Raven replied trying to hide her deception.

"You're bluffing."

Raven shook her head and looked away for a moment, then suddenly griped down on Terra's jaw, trying to force it open. Terra began to thrash her head around as Raven pride the bottle open with her teeth and let a drop fall on the girl's face. The creature cried out in pain, calling Raven a particularly vulgar name.

"Oh so you can feel pain now, can't you?"

The possessed girl turned her head and spat in Raven face, "And you can cause pain now can't you?" They smiled as the holy water continued to burn Terra's skin like acid. "For a moment there you almost enjoyed it."

"In that case you'd better answer my question then." Raven responded bitterly, holding the holy water like weapon.

"It's called The Eye, witch!"

"And what does it do and why do you have it."

"It's a necklace, a bit gouty for Our taste, you feel free to keep it." Raven rolled her eyes and let a few drops fall on the creatures face again, feeling guilty to be putting Terra through such agony. The creature struggled in pain, but continued. "It's used to see events from the past and in the right hands the future."

Raven looked at the old necklace, "So why do you have it?"

"We didn't take it the girl did."

"Why?"

"You can ask her yourself." They spat and suddenly the look in Their eyes changed, becoming softer and extremely fearful. Suddenly Raven became overwhelmed with fear, sadness, loss, and dozens of other maddening emotions.

Raven looked down to find Terra's eyes filled with tears as she cried out, "Help me! Please help me!"

Raven quickly let go as the girl thrashed in a manic state filled with fear and desperation. "Terra?... I'm here Terra I'll help you just hold on." Raven whimpered trying to comfort the frightened girl.

She repeated her cries and pleas as she looked up at Raven and said, "Please Raven, They won't let me go! They won't let me go…"

Raven swallowed hard trying her best to keep herself from breaking down until she heard Terra's sobs slowly, but progressively turn into a fit of laughter. And before she knew it she was once again face to face with Them. In anger Raven loosened the clamp and let the IV begin to drip again.

"You think you're all big and bad, but what you're forgetting is I defeated Trigon before and I can do it again."

"You may be some hot-shit witch, but you're still human and that makes you far more vulnerable because you have everything to lose." They said with wild eyes, mocking her.

Raven looked back at Them once more before leaving the room. Her eyes filled with fire as she said, "And that's why I won't lose."

333

Once back in her room, she sat down on her bed and thought more about what she'd just witnessed. She was convinced it truly was Terra she'd encounter even if it were just for a moment. The girl's fear was too pure to be manufactured by a creature that didn't really understand the concept of such an emotion. And the image of Terra's face crying out to her was just too vivid to be hoaxed. Still she knew she'd just made a pretty big declaration and deep down she had some doubts.

What They'd said was true, it was because of Raven's humanity that she had everything to lose, whereas her opponent had everything to gain. This made Them far more dangerous to her and her friends. The fact was this enemy only had one thing to keeping it going and that was rage. And as much as Raven told herself that Rage was a useless emotion, she knew it was enough to drive someone to the extreme. Not only that, but she and the others had never fought an enemy with nothing to lose before. There was always something at stake, but with Them there was nothing.

She looked down at the necklace and remember what They'd told her. _So this thing is supposed to help give me the power of Sight?_ She thought holding it in her hands. I wonder how it works? Placing her fingers on the eye, she suddenly felt a charge run through her veins, as though she were being electrocuted and her eyes went white. In her mind she could see a vision of an attic door swinging open and a little girl with pretty blue eyes being thrown inside. The small girl fell to floor in tears, calling for her mother who slammed the door and locked it behind her. The little turned and cried out, begging for mercy, her soft brown curls falling in dismay. Raven felt the child's fear, but did not understand why she was seeing such a thing and then she heard a woman say,

"Stop your sniveling Molly, that pretty face won't paint itself."

With that Raven found herself snapped back into reality. She gasped falling back on her bed with blurred vision.

"Molly?" she whispered softly as the words echoed in her head. I know I've heard that voice before, she thought to herself, awakening another. "The Inferno," she panted, shooting up right, recalling her dream, "The Fates." She looked over to the clock to see it was passed 8 o'clock and pulled herself to her feet where she began to pacing back forth for a moment.

 _Shit, well if I'm going to get my answers than I should probably get a move on_. Raven ran her hands through her hair and rubbed her neck trying to think of where to start.

Now, contrary to what you may think, The Inferno was not a place of brimstone and torment. Unless you hate industrial goth music, then you'd probably think you were actually in Hell. And to some that's how they looked at the old night club which was converted from an old factory from the early nineteen hundreds. The theme of the club was Dante's Inferno (hence the name), but instead of having 9 circles of hell it only had 3. However, no one had ever actually been to the third circle, but that didn't stop rumors from spreading of what actually took place down there. Everything from blood drinking vampire covens, to satanic cults and of course ritualistic witches, casting spells of every sort. But as colorful and exciting as those little stories sounded they were nothing more than urban legends, or so she thought.

Still she knew she couldn't just walk into The Inferno looking to gain access to the third circle as Raven. If she was going to get anywhere she'd have to take on a different identity and become a completely different person. Raven would standout like virgin in a whore house, but Rachel Roth wouldn't.

Raven smiled at the thought. "Rachel" was basically the mask Raven wore when she wanted to act her age. Unlike Raven, Rachel liked staying out late, getting into a little trouble and going to The Inferno with her friend "Jenny" which Jinx called herself outside of her inner circle. Raven didn't turn to Rachel often, but when she did she never really regretted it. She wasn't sure if it was because she was living someone else's life or if she was actually living her own. Either way it looked like she'd have to start becoming her alter ego.

An hour later Raven found herself looking into the violet eyes of a face that hardly resembled her own. It had her features, but they were accented with coal grays and black that lined her eyes perfectly in a cat-like manner. Her cheek bones looked higher with a bit of pale blush and her lily white skin seemed to glow more under the light. She wore a short tunic that laced up the back and hugged her curves in all the right places. It had grommet detailing around the circular collar and short cut off sleeves, giving it more edge. Underneath it she'd slipped on a pair of black fishnets which accented her long legs and gave her a hint of added confidence. She'd pinned her hair up in a loose twist and pulled her part to the side so her hair swept across her face like Veronica Lake . She took a breath and exhaled, putting on the final touches of her makeup, which was heavier than she'd normally wear, but that's how "Rachel" liked it. Her mind was pulled away from her vanity when she heard a knock at her door.

Not taking her eyes from the mirror she called, "It's open."

She didn't need to ask who it was; she already knew by the tug of their bond that Robin was the one who'd walk through her door. Closing the door behind him he turned and paused at the sight of her. Raven glance over in his direction and felt a smile tug at her lips, knowing Robin was quite fond of her gothic chic style and liked seeing her dolled up.

"Why do you look like you're going to The Inferno?" He question snapping out of his momentary stupor.

"Because I'm going to The Inferno." She replied putting on her mascara with a flat tone.

"Oh," he shrugged sheepishly, "can we talk?"

"So now you want to talk?" She placed down her mascara and picked up a pair of black stockings.

"Well we both said some really ugly shit last night."

Raven sighed and pulled up the torn stockings above her knees. "Some ugly, but unfortunately true shit."

Robin exhaled and looked away. He knew she had something she needed to say, but feared the words that would soon fall from her lips.

Raven finished putting on her stockings and turned to him, her face becoming softer. "Do you ever get tired of this scenario?"

"What do you mean?"

"You worrying about me and what I'm hiding from you. Me insisting I can handle it on my own when I clearly can't?"

"Oh that scenario, it's a classic." He replied leaning against the wall by her vanity.

Raven looked down, "Well maybe it shouldn't be."

"Can I tell you something?" Robin asked kneeling down in front of her. Raven nodded as he took off his mask, knowing he'd never truly reach her with it on. "First off, I'm sorry I said the things I said last night, but as much as I regret saying them they really are the truth."

Raven looked away for a moment, already knowing full well he meant what he'd said, but to hear it seemed to sting a little more than she thought it would. "I know and it's my fault you feel the way you do and I'm sorry for that. I'm clearly hurting you."

"It's the people we love the most who can cut us the deepest. It's painful, but it's true. I know they say that love shouldn't hurt, but in my experience, when it's real... it hurts like hell."

"That's really depressing, even for me."

"Yeah I know," Robin said looking up into her violet eyes which were more piercing against her smoky eye shadow and thick black lashes. "But what I'm trying to say is that I do really love you and even though it may hurt sometimes, it's a pain I'm willing to bear."

Raven could feel her eyes becoming glassy as Robin kissed the back of her hand. "I know I need to be more honest with you, but I'm afraid if tell you more you'll only try to protect me more."

"Raven my job is to protect you, not just as your boyfriend, but as your friend and leader. I just feel like you don't need me sometimes."

Raven, took a deep breath, "That's the thing, I do need you, and it's because I need you that I want to keep you safe. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know that feeling." He said looking down and stood up.

Raven looked up at him almost forgetting where they'd stood a year ago and what he'd said. She stood up and looked into his eyes. She could recall when he was only but an inch taller than her when they'd first met. He was only boy, a few month older her, but to her surprise he was more a man then most men she'd encountered. Like her he still had some growing to do, but it was the kind of growing one could only achieve by letting others open their eyes.

She could still recall nights where she tried to keep herself locked away from the others, feeling misunderstood and lost in a world she didn't quite understand. Life was less of a gift to her at this time and more of a burden she'd learned to bear. Her coldness had become her coping mechanism. If experiencing life would be her undoing than she'd simply just exist. However Robin felt differently. Unlike her, he couldn't just stand by and watch the world from the side lines. He had to be a part of it and show that he was here, leaving something to be remembered, which Raven soon learned was his coping mechanism.

Raven could remember the look on his face when he'd found her note, the one that said she was leaving The Titans. He was a strong mixture of hurt and confused, but above all frightened.

"You're leaving?" He said catching her in the hallway before she could slip away.

"Robin I'm sorry, I just don't know if I really belong here anymore." Raven responded trying to keep her beating heart at bay.

"Why would you think that?"

"I just don't know if I'm really cut out to be a hero anymore; I don't think I ever was."

"Raven, please you need to think about this." Robin pleaded in desperation

"Don't you think I have? I don't want to leave, I just, I just have to." Raven said turning around trying to make her way out.

"No you don't," he said taking hold of her arm, "Please Raven the team needs you… I need you."

Raven looked back at her masked leader as her heart was only but an inch from breaking. A tear freed itself from her stoic eyes and rolled done her cheek. She didn't know what to say to him as he looked back at her with desperation. He lifted his hand to reach out for her check, placing it on her jawline. With his thumb he slowly pressed it against her cheekbone and wiped the tear firmly off her face. Raven didn't know why, but she let her head fall into his hand as though she more than accepted the contacted. Robin smiled as she did so and moved his hand back around her neck, into her hairline where it settled. Raven looked up at him with her amethyst eyes still glassy and reached for his mask. Robin hesitated at first and Raven inhaled as her body became tense, but he saw in her eyes that she needed to know he meant what he'd said. With his free hand he lifted the mask free from his eyes, revealing the deep blue beneath. Without his mask he felt vulnerable, but for Raven it made her feel as though she wasn't alone. That he could be just as exposed as she felt when taking off her mask. Robin let his thumb travel down to her jaw and leaned in close, too close.

"Robin what are you doing." Raven asked looking up at him.

Robin let his forehead rest upon hers, "I don't know, Rae." He whispered, then pressed his lips to hers.

Raven froze up a moment in shock, but let herself melt into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. The kiss lasted for a long moment and when they broke apart the two birds didn't draw back in heist, taking a moment to let it sink in before reacting.

"I really don't want you to leave." Robin said breaking the silence.

Raven looked away forgetting that she was practically on her way out the door. "I won't, at least not tonight."

"I'll take that for now." He replied kissing her on the forehead.

That was the moment that started it all, she thought looking up at Robin in a similar stance a year later. "You really should've just let me leave Richard."

"No, if I had then we wouldn't be the people we are today and I wouldn't know how much I truly care for you." He said placing his hand on her neck.

There was something about his touch that made her feel weak as though even if she wanted to leave she couldn't. He had a bit of a possessive nature to him and though he didn't view her as a piece of property by any means, he still valued her as his in a metaphorical way. And as much as she refused to think of herself as belonging to anyone she enjoyed being _his_. There was safety to this unspoken bond and it was by no means unhealthy or controlling. It just meant that he'd protect her and all she'd have to do was love him for it in return. And deep down she knew even if she didn't, he'd still uphold his end of the deal with no notion of debt to be paid. His devotion to her was unrivaled and humbling as she didn't quite know what she'd done to deserve it.

"I love you Raven." He said still holding her neck just under the jawline.

Raven nodded and a light smile graced her face, "I love you too Richard."

He leaned in and kissed her reminiscently of their first one a year ago only this time with more passion as she let herself melt into the boy's hands. Once they broke from it, Raven rested her head on the young man's chest as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her body tightly to his. Resting his chin on her head, he took deep breath, taking in her scent of lavender oil and jasmine. He closed his eyes and exhaled then whispered softly, "So why are you going to The Inferno?"


	10. Into the Inferno

The car ride was quiet, but comfortable. Raven looked over at Robin who was in the driver's seat and smiled at him genuinely. For the first time in almost two weeks she felt safe, though she knew that wouldn't last long, but for the moment she'd take it.  
  
She'd told Robin why she was going to The Inferno, telling him about her nightmares and visits by the strange woman she believed to be the Fates. His reaction was one of concern, and he wanted to join her. Raven however declined his offer and told him that to meet the Fates she would have to go alone. Not to mention she felt he was needed back at the tower since there was still concern for Terra's safety. Robin reluctantly agreed, but insisted he at least drive her to her destination. At first Raven refused, but allowed it since she was technically trying to blend in, and well, Rachel couldn't just teleport herself right outside the club now could she?  
  
"So how do you know you can trust these _'Fates'_? Robin asked with a little concern.  
  
"I don't," Raven replied dryly, "But it's all I have to go on so I'm just going to have to trust, _Fate_." She shook her head at her horrible pun and felt Robin take her hand in his.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you just in case it's a trap," he said looking over at her with worry.

Raven smiled, running her thumb against Robin's ring finger and leaned in his direction, "As much as I want you to be there, I can't let you." She looked up at him with her smoky eyes as they caught his ghost blue ones. "Plus you're not gonna blend into the ominous sea of black so I can't be seen with you," she added sarcastically.  
  
Robin chuckled, "Oh I forgot, _'Rachel'_ is _too cool_ to date outside her species."  
  
"Yeah, sorry, but you kinda cramp my style when you dress like a traffic light. Any self-respecting gothling would feel the same. You're just lucky I keep you on the side," she said patronizingly and the kissed him on cheek.  
  
"Oh, so that's all I am to you huh Rae?" he said pretending to be wounded by her statement. "I knew you were cheating on me," he joked.  
  
Raven laughed a bit wickedly as she said, "With Red X." Robin looked back at her with a _'I can't believe you just went there'_ look on his face, "I'm kidding, Red X isn't cool enough for me either," she joked unable to help herself.  
  
This type of banter was actually normal whenever Raven put on her alter ego. There was something about _Rachel_ that made her feel free enough to let go and be more outgoing (and slightly more of a wiseass). She may have pushed the boundaries at times, but Robin couldn't help but welcome the rebellious nature. Knowing Raven needed to live without having any strings attached every so often. He loved seeing her more cocky and out spoken, even if it was at his expense, but it was a side he didn't see often. He also knew that by morning the over confident girl would be gone, and possibly never return.  
  
He looked over at her, and brought the car to a stop. He couldn't help but think of how pretty she actually was even without all the makeup. She had a beautiful bone structure and flawless white skin that he craved to touch. Her lips were full and he couldn't help but want to see them pulled into a rare, but lovely smile.  
  
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked pulling him out of his head.  
  
He smiled and rubbed his neck sheepishly, "Because you're really beautiful Raven." His voice was smooth and sincere, taking her a little off guard.  
  
In the past Robin had always told her she was pretty or cute, but never beautiful. She always thought it was because he knew she didn't exactly view physical beauty as important and knew he loved her for her heart, not her body. But that still didn't mean she didn't want to hear him say the words and humor her vanity.  
  
Robin reached out and pulled Raven into a kiss from the passenger seat, letting the moment sink in. He let his hands run a long her curves without protest. He freed her lips from his and began to trail them down her neck as he felt her breath against his ear.  
  
She whispered softly, "So you really think I'm beautiful?"  
  
Robin stopped what she was doing and looked back at her as though she was the only person that mattered and said, "Yes, I always have, in every way."  
  
"You are so corny Bird Boy," she laughed shaking her head, "but I admittedly love you."  
  
"Oh, don't let anyone hear you say that, it could ruin your street cred."  
  
Raven rolled her eyes, "What, that I Raven, queen of the darkness, am in love with the human traffic light known as the Boy Blunder? Yeah I think the damage is already done." She threw open the car door, but before stepping out was pulled back where Robin received her with one last kiss.  
  
When he released her she didn't pull away, but only looked at him for a moment as he said, "So I guess this is your stop?"  
  
Raven smiled and picked up her bag, placing the strap over her shoulder then looked back at Robin one last time and said in a flirtatious tone, "What tipped you off?"  
  
Robin laughed at her brashness and watched her exit the civilian vehicle, reminding her to call if she needed him and to check in so he wouldn't worry.  
  
"Oh please, if anything I'm going to be the one worrying, you're the one who's has to babysit _Linda Blare_ ," she scuffed, looking in at the young man. "Let me know how things are when you get back, okay?"  
  
"I will, don't worry, but I have to make a stop first. Let me know if you need a ride."  
  
"I can teleport, remember?"  
  
"Yeah, but I thought I'd offer before Red X did, so…"  
  
Raven laughed a little insulted at his witty remark and shot back, "That was kind of a _Dick_ thing to say."  
  
He laughed, "Oh that's so original, nobody's ever said that to me before."  
  
"Ok, now you're really being a Dick," she said in a low monotone. "Well I'm gonna go save our friend from certain death if you don't mind. Have fun being an asshole."  
  
She slammed the car door and began to walk off when she heard Robin call from the open window, "I love you!"  
  
"You should," she shot back flashing him her typical smirk of superiority.

Robin just shook his head and drove off knowing he could never win a battle of wits with her, which was one of the many things he loved about her. Whether it was a mundane pun or an intelligent and clever double entendre, he always enjoyed her ability to weaken her enemy with words. And in her case the pen was far mightier than the sword.

333

Raven walked up to the entry way of the large building and looked up to the second story where the bouncer was checking IDs. She reached into her bag, pulling out a small clutch wallet and removed her faux driver's license. She began to scale the old iron stairway as it echoed below her feet. Luckily for her there wasn't much of a line as she reached the top. However, this didn't mean that the club wouldn't be packed it just meant the real fun waited just beyond the large oak doors ahead.  
  
"Hey Rache, we haven't seen you in a while. How are you?" The bouncer said with genuine joy to see the dark girl. Raven smiled and gave the large man a hug. He was about 6 foot with a strong, heavy build and could probably kill a man with his bare hands, but he was really a teddy bear. "Hey sweetie, I'm real sorry to hear about Jenny."  
  
"Thanks Jacob," she sighed and handed over her ID. Jacob of course hardly looked at it and began fitting Raven with a wrist band. "Hey, can I ask you an honest question?"  
  
"Of course, darling."  
  
"What's down in the third circle of hell?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in a playful fashion, trying to hide any real hint of desperation.  
  
The large man just laughed and said, "Well, I'm sure you've heard all the crazy little ghost stories, but to be honest I've never been down there. I know it was used for some shady shit in 90's, but now it's mostly just storage and shit left over from when this place was still a sweat shop. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Just curious is all, what kind of shady shit?"  
  
Jacob just looked at her for a moment seeing that she really  
did want to know, but was reluctant to tell her. "Trust me hun, if you knew everything that ever happened down there you wouldn't even wanna go into the club. Just stay clear of it, ok?"  
  
Raven could see the man's eyes flare up with warning as his emotions bled of fear and concern. Jacob was very protective of the club goers, especially the girls. He himself was a father and saw it as his personal duty to make sure each girl got back to their parents in one piece. So for him to be concerned for her was not out of the ordinary.  
  
"I will, Jake I promise."  
  
"Good." He said opening the large wooden door, releasing the muffled sound that lay trapped behind it. "Now have a good night and behave yourself doll."  
  
Raven nodded, smiling at his concern as she made her way through the "Gateway to Hell" where she'd soon be among the many children of the night. Off the entrance was a foyer style room with dark red walls and a black curtain ahead. The floor was constructed of its original aged wood looking quite dark under the dimmed light. The room was decorated in a romantic gothic manner, yet had an Elizabethan quality to it. In the corner stood a woman most likely in her early to mid-forties, wearing a Georgian style gown. The gown itself was actually quite lovely being made of a rich red satin with a train bustle and black lace detailing. However, the woman wearing the frock did seem a bit old to be doing so.  
  
"May I take your coat my lovely young hell-seeker?" The woman said in a full and theatric voice.  
  
Raven smiled and declined her offer politely. She'd always gotten a kick out of who the club hired to greet the club goers in an attempt to convey the illusion of magic and mystery. For the most part it didn't really work, but it was entertaining none the less.  
  
"In that event my child sin as you wish, but please do not judge others who chose to sin differently than you."  
  
Raven nodded, trying not to giggle at the woman, but was having a hard time taking her seriously. Still, she managed to keep a straight face and walked off toward the music that beat hard from behind the curtain. Crossing the threshold she walked down a dark hallway following the sound of the bass which became more powerful with every step. Reaching its end, she found herself at the foot of a stairway and looked out. Her eyes fell on the massive sea of people moving as though they were black waves rising and falling with the tide of the music.  
  
She moved down the steps gingerly being careful not to misstep in her boots. She looked on at the different varieties of gothic subculture as they displayed themselves in all their stereotypical glory. Among them she found many "rivet heads" and "cyber" goths taking to the dance floor with their steampunk goggles and florescent ponytail falls. Um, maybe Robin would've fit in dressed as a traffic light, she thought with a slight smile as she looked on at their brightly colored getups. Raven honestly kind of loathed them in a way, though she wasn't really sure why. But she suspected it had something to do with them practically worshiping technology and all things futuristic. As for the rivet heads, they mostly kept to themselves, but insisted they were _"not goth."_ Raven also notice within the crowd some gothic Lolitas dressed in all their Victorian finery, admiring how put together they were. Still as she looked around at the many faces of individuality, she couldn't help but feel as though she actually fit in.  
  
"I love this place," she said aloud though her words were lost within the experimental sound of the music. She quickly recognized the song as being by _Aesthetic Perfection_ , a band she was surprisingly quite found of. Their sound was by all means unique and heavily influenced by industrial and electronica. Not that she hated the more industrial sound, it was just always hit or miss with her.  
  
She stepped off the steps and into the bar area catching glimpses of the black and white painted faces that looked in her direction. Some of which she'd seen before. She stopped when she saw a girl with her hair pinned up into a light blue mohawk, wearing torn fishnets with ripped denim and a loose fitting Nightmare on Elm Street tank-top. The girl turned in her direction and paused as a smile stretched across her face.  
  
"Oh my god Raven!" she yelled over the music, though Raven could hardly hear her. She smiled as the girl wrapped her arms around her in excitement. "Oh my god it's been way too long, how are you?"  
  
"I'm good," Raven replied, though it was clearly a lie. "How are you Jillian, I thought you went to London?"  
  
"I did, I just got back a few weeks ago."  
  
"But didn't your father send you to boarding school?"  
  
"He did. But they finally kicked my ass out," she smiled sinisterly, making Raven laugh.  
  
She hadn't seen the young girl since she and Beast Boy broke up and to be honest she actually missed her terribly. Raven and Beast Boy may've been complete polar opposites, but she and Jillian actually had a lot in common. They both liked the same clubs, cafés, movies and even had similar taste in music and books. Raven actually used to joke how Jillian was Beast Boy's only good quality. However, around the time of their messy breakup, Jillian's father thought it necessary to send the young woman off as far away as possible. Insisting Beast Boy to be a "bad" influence on her. Raven of course knew that was ridiculous and that he just didn't like the idea of his daughter dating "the green Titan." Whereas if she where dating Robin or Speedy he'd probably thrown an elaborate parade.  
  
"Yeah, you live to piss that man off don't you?" Raven said cynically and smirked.  
  
"Don't act like you don't do the same, Miss Queen of the Darkness." Jillian shot back and leaned against the bar to retrieve her drink.  
  
"Hey aren't you a little young to be drinking?"  
  
"Yeah, but Karen Hawthorn isn't."  
  
Raven shook her head knowing it was clearly a fake name, but knew she was in no position to talk since her ID said she was she was twenty two.  
  
"I heard about Jinx. I would've come to the services, but I didn't hear about it till after. I'm really sorry Rae." Raven just smiled at the girl and mouthed a sincere thank you. "So how is Gar?"  
  
Raven smiled uncomfortably, knowing how hard their breakup was and how embittered it made her. "He's ok."  
  
"Is he still with that girl?" she asked unable to say Terra's name.  
  
Raven only nodded and looked way feeling Jillian's heart sink at the conformation. Raven truly felt sorry for her because as much as she knew Beast Boy never intended to hurt her, he truly had. But at the end of the day, he loved Terra more.  
  
"You're still not over it?"  
  
"Yes and no, but I'll get there. I just hope he's happy and don't mean that in a cruel way."  
  
Raven smiled at the girl as they talked for a few more minutes about why Jillian got kicked out of school and what the two had been up to since they'd last seen each other. Raven of course left out the more unreal details of her life not wanting to drag the girl into it.  
  
"Well, I have to take care something, but it was nice seeing you again," Raven said remembering that she was there on business, not pleasure.  
  
"Yeah I should get back to my friends, you're welcome to join us later if you want, Rae."  
  
"I would, but I have plans with Robin later."  
  
Jillian giggled, smiling wickedly, "I knew you two you had a thing."  
  
"Yeah, about a year now." Raven said trying to brush it off. "But I'll see you later, Jillian." She waved goodbye and began to make her way to the dance floor.  
  
By now a new song had begun playing, fueling the movement like the sound of a heartbeat. Around her she saw faces lost in the strobe lights, moving uninhibitedly with the music, their liberation from the world. That was the beauty of the scene, the lack of judgment that hung around them and the freedom to be who they were. Slowly she moved through the sea of corsets, leather and many shades of black, unaware that a pair of blue eyes were cast upon her.  
  
Still, as she moved through those who were lost in the sound, she caught a glimpse of a girl dancing in the distance alone. She was slender and about average height. She was wearing a short black baby doll style dress that exposed much of her garter belt and a black waist cincher. Her striped purple stockings were bold against her black dress and had a few tears about the knees. But what really caught Raven's eye was the girl's pale pink pigtails.  
  
"Jinx?" Raven questioned, unable to see the girl's face.  
  
She began to move closer, trying to catch sight of her features, but the girl's swift movements always seemed to keep it concealed. The mysterious girl began to move through crowed almost cat-like as Raven tried to follow her with little ease. The waves of people were massive and thick as they swayed around her unscathed by her presence. Maybe I should've come as Raven, she thought cynically, trying to catch up to the illusive girl. As she reached the out skirts of the dance floor she found the crowd becoming sparse and was finally able to move with more haste. Until she felt a hand wrap around her arm. She turned to find a young man with long dark hair wearing a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt, a band Raven wasn't really fond of.  
  
"So where do you think you're going beautiful?" he asked in a cool voice, only he wasn't cool.  
  
Raven watched the pink haired girl slip off down the stairwell. She furrowed her brow and replied, "Away from you."  
  
The boy looked a little insulted as his brown eyes winced at her words. "That wasn't very polite; did your mother teach you talk like that?"  
  
"No, but if you don't get your hand off me I'll show what she did teach me, you tool-bag," she hissed.  
  
"Sounds hot kitty," the boy smirked.  
  
Raven was disgusted with his innuendo and ready to retaliate, his verbal disrespect just about getting the better of her. But before she could even lay a finger on the boy, a hand wrapped around his shoulder. Quickly, he was pulled around by a tall young man with shaggy brown hair and with one swift movement--was knocked unconscious.  
  
Raven looked up at the young man a little shocked and unsure of what to think. He just smiled handsomely at her and for a moment, if Raven weren't already in a committed relationship, may have swooned. Quickly, she knocked herself back into reality, remembering her mission and one last look at the attractive blue eyed boy who'd surprisingly saved her.  
  
"Thank you!" She called.  
  
"Anything for a pretty girl," he said with a charming Danish accent, watching her leave.  
  
Raven moved quickly off the dance floor and headed toward the stairwell that led to the second circle. All the while moving through those who either huddled in groups, talking about how much they hated the scene and other drama that ensued, or others who just wanted to be left alone. In passing she could hear them scuffing at her and voicing their distaste at her brashness, but Raven didn't care. She just needed to find the girl before she completely vanished into the night.  
  
Reaching the stairwell she looked down to find it poorly lit and began her decent down the cold cement steps. She placed her hands on the cold wall, keeping her footing in mind. Reaching the bottom she found herself in a strangely structured hallway. To her right was a small room which acted as a smaller dance floor for those who preferred music that was slower in tempo and more trance-like. Raven took a quick look around at the people dancing to _"Invisible"_ by _Switchblade Symphony_ , her eyes darting for even a glimpse of pink hair. After a few moments of watching their thoughtless bodies sway freely she found none of them to be her target. In frustration she moved down the hallway to the entrance of a small bar. Here she found small groups of "trad" goths and "deathrockers" mostly talking about how goth was _"dead"_ and how much they hated _EBM_. Raven rolled her eyes realizing the only thing missing from this sightly display were their signature cigarettes to complete their retro 80's attire. Finally she looked to the end of the dark hallway where a rich red curtain caught her eye.  
  
Never before had she ventured passed it, mostly because it was sort of an _"invitation only"_ area and to be honest she never really wanted one. From what she knew the room was called the _"Red Curtain"_ and was mostly used as a lounge area almost like a V.I.P. room. Only those who were invited took their image to a bit of an extreme. Raven approached the curtain, unsure of whether her entrance would be noticed or not. Slowly she pushed the red velvet aside and peered in at the inhabitants. She mostly saw small groups of people sitting on antique couches and armchairs, while drinking wine in the dim lit room. Each group seemed more then engrossed in their activities, giving Raven the idea she could at least make a quick sweep. She held up her head, acting confident as though she belonged and stepped inside. Inconspicuously she looked around at the space, which was lined with the same red curtain, giving it a sort of cabaret ambiance. The inhabitants were all romantically dressed in Victorian style corsets and frock coats, some more racy than others.  
  
Within moments she noticed wary eyes falling on her, all silently asking who she was and who invited her. She stopped feeling their questionable eyes as her confidence began to crumble. People literally stopped what they were doing at the sight of her. _I think they figure out I crashed the party,_ she silently narrated when a tall, buxom woman approached her. The woman was quite beautiful with red lips and long black hair, styled reminiscent of Betty Page. Her eyes were gray beneath her false lashes and she was cinched tightly into a vintage 50's style dress.  
  
"Oh my goodness, aren't you lovely," she said with a hint of excitement, "do you have an invite my dear?" she asked with a flirtatious smile, flashing a pair of veneer fangs.  
  
 _Shit, I just walked into one of those fake pseudo vampire clubs_ , she thought resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Um I'm looking for a friend, maybe you've seen her?"  
  
The woman smiled again, "What's she look like my lovely?"  
  
"She's thin with pink hair, wearing a black dress and purple stripped stockings?" Raven said with everyone in the room still looking at her.  
  
"Was it a really short black dress?" questioned a slightly intoxicated man wearing a vintage pea coat and a ridiculous top hat.  
  
"Yeah, you saw her?"  
  
"No," the drunk man said taking a swig of his rum, "but she sounds hot."  
  
Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed heavily, realizing that she had just described over half the girls in the club, including herself.

  
"Can I buy you a drink little lady?" The man slurred. Raven shook her head and muttered a "no thank you." The man only laughed and replied, "Ok, I'm used to drinking alone, but if you find your friend, you both feel free to join me, okay?"  
  
"Vol stop, you're not helping," the young woman said flashing him a glimpse of her annoyance. "A girl who fit that description came in here about five minutes ago, she left through that curtain."  
  
Raven smiled with relief, "Oh, thank you," she sighed.  
  
"Oh, and be careful not to get lost, those hallways are really confusing," the buxom woman added in a concerned voice.  
  
Raven thanked her again and exited through the red curtain, leaving the lovely young woman behind. Before she was out of ear shot she heard the drunk man call out, "Hey Veronica, you wanna play that silly Rat Game with me?"  
  
"Oh Vol, you know I'm not really into boys!" She heard the young woman exclaim.  
  
 _Well that was an experience_ , Raven thought, but turned her attention to the dark hallway with three different entrances. They were old and arched, being structured with aged bricks that were slowly crumbling away with time. There wasn't much light and the little she found came from the ceiling lights that flickered wildly. For a moment she wasn't sure what to do. There was no sign of the girl and from what she could see it would take hours to find her, if she even existed. For all Raven knew she was just chasing some poor girl around some night club, trying to find answers to something she hardly understood. This thought only reminded her how desperate she'd became and how helpless she felt. Suddenly, she heard a light voice singing strange words she'd heard before.  
  
 _"Sunday is gloomy_  
  
 _my hours are slumberless._  
  
 _Dearest the shadows_  
  
 _I live with are... numberless."_  
  
The voice was soft and lyrical as it echoed through the hallowed halls and seemed to call from the hallway ahead.  
  
 _"Little white flowers_  
  
 _will never awaken you,_  
  
 _not where the black coach of_  
  
 _Sorrow has... taken, you."_  
  
She moved slowly, following the voice as it grew louder singing the mournful melody to the shadows that flooded the space around her. After a few moments she could see a silhouette standing off in the distance. The figure was bathed in black as she moved gracefully from the murky darkness and into the dull light. Raven looked ahead unsure of what to think, could this girl really be from the grave or was she just a figment of her imagination.  
  
 _"Angels have no thought_  
  
 _of ever returning you._  
  
 _Would they be angry_  
  
 _if I thought of... joining, you?_  
  
 _Gloomy Sunday."_  
  
Raven was now only a few feet away from the girl who stood against the wall with her back to her.  
  
"Jinx?" Raven asked with a quiver in her voice.  
  
The girl giggled and turned to finally face her, "No such luck," she smiled with a cigarette between her fingers, "Have a light?"  
  
Raven could hardly sustain the look of disappointment that fell over her face. For a moment she actually thought that maybe her guilt could be cured, but how dare she hope for such a thing.  
  
"Sorry, I thought you were a friend."  
  
"Oh, but I am a _friend_." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Now, if you wouldn't mind giving a friend a light?" Raven only stared at the girl, becoming even more wary of her presence. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, I'm more than aware of who you are. Now, let's see if you're really _Daddy's_ little girl."  
  
Raven said nothing only furrowing her brow in distaste at being called such a thing, but complied anyway. The girl held out her cigarette and Raven lifted her right hand to its end, placing her thumb and middle finger together. She took one last look at the girl, who flashed her dark eyes meeting Raven's. With a snap of her fingers the cigarette caught flame and the girl took a long drag, inhaling the foul smoke.  
  
"Hot trick," she said exhaling, the smoke billowing above their heads, "but from what I've heard that's really nothing for you?"  
  
Raven kept her distance as she watched the girl with a critical eye while she pulled out her pigtails, letting her pink hair cascade freely.

"How do you know who I am?" Raven questioned trying to take hold of the situation.  
  
The girl giggled and approached her, taking a piece of stray hair in her fingers, "Like I said, I'm a friend and _friends_ know all our dirty little _secrets._ " The girl paused taking another drag, then exhaled the poisonous smoke into the air. "Even the ones we may not even be aware of." She smiled looking back at Raven and let go of her hair.  
  
"Who are you, what's your name?"  
  
"My name isn't of importance, it won't mean much to you. I'm only here to point you in the right direction is all."  
  
"So you're a lure?"  
  
"Yes, and I think I attracted quite the catch, if I do say so myself," the girl said running her fingers along Raven's neck.  
  
She pulled away at the girl's enjoyment, her dark eyes sinfully playful. She giggled again and released more filthy smoke from her lungs, this time blowing some in Raven's face, causing her to cough.  
  
"I know what you came here for and I know they are expecting you, but you won't find them, they will find you."  
  
Raven looked up as her body cleared its lungs and said, "What do you mean?"  
  
"You're a clever girl, you figure it out," she replied with a low voice and pressed her back against the wall. "Go down to the end of the hallway and take a left, when you reach the end of that hall, stop."  
  
"And…"  
  
She threw her cigarette on the ground, "That's it, you'll figure the rest out when you get there," she said stomping it out with her tall boot. Raven only looked at her then down the dark hallway, fear present in her eyes. She felt two small hands grip her shoulders as she heard the girl whisper in her ear, "Don't worry little girl; nothing will get you that isn't supposed to," she giggled and kissed Raven's cheek, making a chill ran down her spine.  
  
She turned to find the girl gone, yet could still feel her cold touch lingering on her skin. She placed her hands where the cold sensation had been in a protective manner. Looking down the long hallway she felt alone and vulnerable, unsure what awaited her at its ominous end. She moved onward, pulling together her fractured courage and remembered her friend's welfare. For a moment she thought of calling Robin for back up, but knew it was an idea she couldn't go through with. The Fates would not permit his presence, and for all she knew this was a trap set for her. She couldn't have his blood on her conscience even if it meant she'd spill her own.  
  
The dim lights continued to flicker, losing her confidence. The hall held many strangely shaped shadows she could hardly describe as her fear grew even more present in her heart. After a few more minutes the hallway began to reach its end. A solid wall stood tall before her, structured in bricks and crumbling stone. To each side was an opening, like two mouths waiting to devour her. Each passage way appeared very dark with no light to guide the way. This gave Raven an uneasy feeling as nightmarish creatures began to spawn visions of sheer evil in her head.  
  
 _Isn't this the part in the horror movie where I know I should go back, but like a fool I walk right to my death?_ Raven asked herself ironically, but entered the hall any way. The darkness was heavy and thick, making it impossible to see. She placed her hand along the course brick and walked alongside it, her footsteps echoing faint around her. With every step her breath tightened, unsure of what it could bring or what was possibly waiting for her.  
  
In the distance a light began to flicker, weak and unsettled. She looked ahead to find a stone wall, much like the one from before, only this one bore a symbol, one she'd seen before. Stained in black, appeared a large Triple Crescent Moon on its face. Slowly she moved closer to it as it began to disappear in the dying light. She was only a few feet away when the hall went black, leaving her blind and fearful. She reached out her small hands to touch it when two strong ones took hold of her thin wrists. Raven tried to pull back in panic as her mind began scrambling to attack. The light suddenly came alive and she found herself staring into the blue eyes of a man she'd seen before.  
  
"It's about time you showed up," The man said with a familiar Danish accent. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming at all."  
  
"It's you, the man who…"  
  
"Saved the damsel in distress?"  
  
Raven pulled her hands free of his grip and stepped back, taking control over her fear. "I'm not a damsel and I was not in distress. I can take care of myself." She insisted.  
  
The man smiled at her charmingly, "Of course my dear, but where I come from a real man will defend a lady's honor."  
  
Raven looked up at him, unsure of whether to trust him or not, "What are you doing down here?"  
  
"Waiting for you," he cooed in his soft accent, "our meeting is Fate."  
  
Raven bit her lip as she realized he was a part of the puzzle, "So you know why I'm here?"  
  
"Yes," he said, then opened an old oak door off to right. "Now, if you are finished asking questions you already know the answers to, I thinks it's time you follow me."  
  
Raven looked back at him still wary of his presence. She could hardly read him, his thoughts were illusive and she couldn't tell why. It was as though his mind was clouded by others, or a veil seemed to rest between him and the world. Still he stared back at her with his blues eyes, his black leather coat giving his shoulders a more broad appearance.  
  
"Ladies first, Raven." He said with a dull smile.  
  
She swallowed her apprehension and moved toward the doorway. She looked down to see a dark stairway that reminded her of the one from her dreams. Before stepping down she looked back at the young man who stood to her left with worry heavy on her face.  
  
"It will all be alright in the _end,_ " he said, his voice vague.  
  
Raven nodded feeling a bit foolish, but pushed herself to step down into what she could only conceive as the third circle of hell. The old stone steps were narrow beneath her feet with the darkness only making her more cautious. Reaching the bottom she heard the man close the door and follow behind her.  
  
"I don't even know your name?" Raven said in a nervous voice.  
  
The man cracked a small smile and said softly, "Call me King."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow, "What kind of a name is that?"  
  
"The kind my mother gave me," he said with a slight laugh. "But we all can't have as many names as you now, can we _Lady Bird?"_  
  
Raven stopped dead in her tracks, "How did you know that?"  
  
"Your mother told me."  
  
Raven held her breath in shock as fear nearly poured from her eyes. Swiftly she turned to face the young man where she found him only but inches away.  
  
"Time has come to say goodnight."

With those words he threw a light powder in her face, completely catching her off guard. Not thinking Raven took a deep breath, inhaling the dust. Within moments she felt dizzy and fatigue was being to set in. She fell to the cold floor unable to hold up her frame, landing on her knees she struggled to stay conscious. She looked up at King who only stood there watching as she dwindled away. He knelt down in front of her, the girl only moments away from blacking out.  
  
"Wh-what… are you going to do to me?" she asked weakly looking up at him with blurred vision. Her arms went limp and she fell forward, the mysterious man catching her in his arms.  
  
"Nothing, I promise, you just go to sleep," he whispered to the withering girl.  
  
No longer able to fight, her head fell heavy on his shoulder and her body gave into the poison that flooding her senses. Before she slipped away, she muttered one last hazy question, "How did you know my mother?" Her voice was weak and faint in her withering state.  
  
"I didn't," King replied, shifting the girl in his arms, "I only talk to _the dead_."  
  
With those words Raven drifted off into a dreamless sleep, unable to overcome the poison her body had succumbed to. Her last thought being, _He said, it will all be alright in the end._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ok so here is a character list so you know who is who.  
> King: Character from the King Diamond Albums Them and Conspiracy  
> The Girl with the pink hair is from the King Diamond Album House of God  
> Jacob the bouncer: Is a real person  
> Character Satirizations: Veronica and Vol  
> Jillian as some of you may already know of is actually from the comic book and really was Beast Boy first love.


	11. Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair

Robin walked up the stone stairway, under the light of the moon as it hung over him watchfully. Before opening the heavy door, he looked up at its face, wondering how something so beautiful could exist among things so hideous. He'd parked the car a few blocks away so he wouldn't be seen near it. During his walk, he'd reapplied his mask and pulled up the hood of his coat to keep his face further concealed.

He placed his hand on the door and took a moment to think of the last time he'd ever stepped foot in a church. Robin had never actually been the religious type, even when he was a boy. His parents, being traveling circus performers, were more superstitious in nature then religious and were cautious of old wives tales. Bruce himself had little need for religion, but wanted Robin to go as a child only to see if it was something he found comfort in. However, much like Bruce, it was hard to believe in something that left too many unanswered questions.

Robin pulled open the large door and stepped inside the old building. He looked up at the high ceilings that arched over him. He may not have believed in God, but he couldn't deny his architecture to be one of great beauty. His eyes fell on the striking stained glass that filled the windows with their great detail and color.

He took a seat in one of the back pews and waited for Detective O'Brien. He looked up to see the large crucifix sitting with great honor at the altar and a young nun lighting candles around it. He leaned back feeling out of place, and questioned why he even agreed to meet the detective in a church of all places, especially this one.

His mind fell back on the unsettling memory of he and Raven trying to find refuge within the old walls, recalling how God turned a blind eye. He remembered the look on Raven's face and the defeat in her eyes, hoping maybe God would save her, but as always, he never came.

The memory was painful, and he felt his own disappointment sink in. He and Raven had actually spoken about their ideas of faith and ideology once or twice with Raven being the more understanding of the two. She'd always been the most spiritual of the Titans, following a code and living by a set of expectations of how her life should be lived. Her beliefs were close to paganism, being set by the original Azar in the 14th century after fleeing persecution from the Spanish Inquisition. She, along with her followers left this plane in hopes of creating a culture based on pacifism and going back to the old pagan beliefs they'd been forced to abandon. Ultimately, Azar's teachings would be founded in the idea that all life is connected and the universe works as one to balance itself. Meaning, everything has life, and has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Raven herself truly believed in this philosophy and also the law of _threefold_ , which meant any ill will shall be returned to you three times the effect. Raven explained it as Azar's way of saying karma would always come back to bite you, and when it did, it would be _three times_ worse.

Robin laughed a little to himself realizing how ironic his thoughts were. He was after all sitting in a church, thinking about a dead religion that was spawned by one of the darkest times in Christian history. Not that it didn't fit the recurring theme he'd been experiencing the last few weeks. Deep down, he knew to accept Trigon's existence, he'd also have to accept God's, but if anything it only left him with a bitter taste.

"You look troubled young man," Robin looked up to find a priest standing over him, "if you are in need of guidance, God is always willing to listen."

Robin let out an uncomfortable laugh at how ironic the priest's words were. "That's the problem, I'm pretty convinced he's not."

The priest sat down next to him, though Robin, in all honesty, wished he wouldn't. Robin didn't come to ask for advice or a reason to put faith in God, but he held his tongue while the priest continued.

"It sounds as though you have little faith young man?"

"Try none." Robin replied numbly, not realizing how belittling his tone sounded.

The priest raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"In my experience, I do believe that God exists, but I have witnessed his absence far more than I've ever seen his presence."

"I know what you mean, I have been a priest for over twenty years now and I, like you, have seen the Devil far more then I have seen God."

Robin rolled his eyes at how unfortunately true that was and not just because of Trigon. In the time he'd spent dedicating his life to helping others, he'd seen evil take on many shapes and faces. He'd seen and experienced things that gave him nightmares and even made him question if his existence even mattered. He just couldn't have faith in something he didn't understand.

 

"Why is that?" Robin Asked.

"That's a difficult answer my son. Evil is always looking to capture us in its grasp; its mission, to make us deny God and to cast him out of our lives."

Robin silently sighed at the answer, mostly because he felt it was sort of generic and second, because in a way he knew it was true. The essence of Evil was corruption and he knew first hand that temptation made people do horrible things. "I understand that, but why does God allow it?"

"You ask some very difficult questions my boy." The priest laughed, "But I think that has something to do with balance, there is no light without darkness."

"So you're saying that without evil there can be no good?" Robin questioned and raised a brow.

"If you had nothing to fight for, would you be who you are?"

Robin sat back speechless, unsure of what to say. The question raised a good point. If he had no one to fight, who would he be? Still, the thought left him bewildered and unsettled. He didn't want to think he needed something to fight for, but in the end everyone does.

Robin looked over at the priest and noticed his nose was beginning to bleed. This slightly alarmed him and he voiced his concerns. "Are you alright, you're bleeding?"

 

The priest placed his finger tip by his upper lip and looked down at the crimson substance. His eyes squinted as his brow furrowed with question. He looked back at Robin who seemed to becoming a little uncomfortable at the sight before him.

 

"So I am." The priest responded somberly when his eyes flared with a looked that Robin had only witnessed once before.

 

"Oh shit." He mumbled as panic began to take hold of him. He heard a crash and instinctively covered his head in a protective manner and ducked.

 

From the corner of his eye he saw a gray blur of feathers as it fell to the red carpet, its feathers trailing softly behind. A laughter soon filled the void of short silence and he looked up at the alter to see the young nun smiling rabidly.

With shockingly white eyes she looked back at him, an inconceivably look on her face. "Typical little Robin, always trying to save the world from its own demise." Robin looked up in disbelief as the young woman spoke in a hollow voice. "Well this time the world will bleed, much like that thorn in your chest."

 

Suddenly the lights in the church went black, leaving only the candles lit with fire. The doors quickly crashed open, startling him, and a heavy gust of wind filled the old church with a bone chill cold.

 

"Do you feel that little Robin," The Priest said staring at him with cold eyes, "It's the cold hand of death and she is coming for you, you and your nest." Robin stumbled back away from the demonically corrupt man, his nose still draining blood. Stepping out of the church pew, he turned to find the priest miraculously standing in front of him. In astonishment the boy moved back trying to create a real distance between them.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded in fear, reaching the other end of the pew.

 

"I am only but a manifestation of evil, a child of hell." The man said once again appearing behind him. "And you, little Robin, are only but a protector, a soldier fighting a war you can never win. Because in the end, humanity will burn for its sins. Evil will always overcome this world."

 

"That isn't true!" Robin shouted, "People may make mistakes or lose hope, but everyone is not as weak as you think!"

 

"Yet, evil is what drives you boy, now isn't it?" Robin's eyes widen at the priest words. "It's at your core much like your mentor. You stopped believing in God the day your parents died and you let evil drive your passion for right." The man turned and picked up the dead Robin that lay on the church floor.

"God turned away from you and left that thorn in your chest, your heart still bleeds from it now." The woman said and began to move toward him, taking the lifeless creature from the priest. "You my little Robin like your mentor, fly upon broken wings, carrying your thorn with resentment, calling it a sense of right. God permits evil because it is necessary; it has a place in all of us."

The woman reached out to touch the young man's face, but he pulled away in revulsion, her words driving deep into his core. He couldn't bring himself to speak, as fear was tight in his throat and his mind filled with venom from a poison tongue.

 

"It's time to fly back to the nest now little Robin, for it is on fire, your children will burn." The priest said looking back at him, his eyes white with sin. "Quickly! before her merciful hand takes them from Their cruelty," he shouted bitterly.

 

Robin felt his heart sink as his realization began to sink in. _'My team_ ,' he thought and gathered his motivation to turn from the demonic beings and ran out of the church. Before crossing the threshold, he looked back at the evil duo one last time.

 

They smiled with angst and in unison said, "Hurry now before the flames consume your life from its fulfillment."

 

With those words Robin ran out of the church and bound down the steps to the sidewalk, crashing into Detective O'Brien. "What hell are you doing, son?" The detective questioned.

 

Robin who was still overcome with shock could hardly explain, but fruitlessly tried.

 

"I need to get back to the tower." He said frantically, realizing that he'd parked nearly four blocks away. "Shit!" He exclaimed with panic on his face. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

 

"What? Why the hurry, is someone in trouble?" The Detective asked with concern.

 

"I don't know, but I think something terrible is about to happen."

 

"Get in the car, I'll drive you." He replied with a fierce look.

 

Robin didn't protest and followed the man's instructions. Within moments the two set out for the tower, the siren crying loudly. All the while Robin frantically thought of the words the creatures had spoken and fearful of what he might find upon his return.

333

Raven began to stir, as images of black eyed children and ghostly figures filled her head with unsavory sights. They ran through her mind like bleak photographs, causing her to writhe in protest. In her sleep she could hear an erratic sound of a metallic nature accompanying the images. As she became more conscious she began to recognize the sound as the devils cord. A musical interval composed of three different whole notes also none as a _tritone_. Raven began to feel something provoking her, conjuring her deepest darkness and all the hell that came along with it.  
  
Her eyes flew open and she took a long breath, trying to bury the evil in the depths of her soul. After a few moments of muttering her mantra she was able to gain most of her control, but her demon half continued to claw at her surface. The sound still played on in the distance, varying from different octaves as though calling her name. From the texture of the sound she could tell the music was conjured by an electric violin. Its distinct sound filling her mind with chaos.  
  
She propped herself up on her elbows trying to regain her full awareness. She looked at her surroundings to find them dark and dimly lit. Several candles burned by the bed she was placed on. Their scent filling the room with sage, sandalwood, and gardenia petals (all herbs and organic matter used to contact sprits).  
  
Sitting up she ran her hands through her hair which had become unpinned, leaving her with soft waves that fell against her face. She looked around to find both her coat and shoulder bag missing. She felt a slight panic at the realization since both the box and her communicator were stored in them.  
  
Suddenly she heard the violin cry loudly as it called for her attention. Her heart tightened at the sinister sound as the Devil's cord continued to pull the string of her inner demon. The sound made her ears burn with both loathing and passion as she tried to cover them in resistance.  
  
"Please stop, please stop, please stop," she whimpered to no avail. The music continued, demanding she follow.  
  
She felt her will began to weaken and her body longed to comply with the intoxicating sound as it overcame her. She shakily lifted herself off the bed, taking a moment to look at the old wooden furniture and the strange relics that surrounded her. Moving to the doorway, she pushed passed an old curtain and found herself in a narrow hallway. She looked to the floor to find it lit with candles and numerous feathers scattered among them. The scent of a fire burning filled her nostrils as she reached the end of the hallway. Before her she saw an arched entry way, constructed in stone and soft chanting began to break through the sound of the violin. She could hardly recognize the words, the language familiar, but she eventually came to untangle them as Middle English.  
  
Raven took a long breath before pulling the curtain aside, bracing herself for what possibly waited behind it. She exhaled and freed the fabric from the door and took sight of the three _wyrd_ women standing before her. They froze as though trapped in time. Raven looked on at them perplexed as they remained motionless. Suddenly, Abigail slid her bow vigorously down the strings of her violin making it cry loudly. Raven felt her core shake at the sound, her inner demon basking in its agony.

The black-haired girl looked at the young woman in a haunting manner and said mischievously, "A drum, a drum, the Raven doth come."  
  
The Fate known as Jane looked in Raven's direction with her plastic smile adding, "Care to join us my dear, we are happy you're hear."  
  
"We have much to discuss, please sit with us." The last Fate said in a rich Scottish glick from over her shoulder.

She flashed Raven a wyrd smile and slid her finger tips along the crimson blade of the knife she held. She turned to her, her hands stained with blood as it ran down her forearms, making a mess of her milky white skin.  
  
Raven looked back at the red-haired woman fearful, her heart beating loudly beneath her chest. She was older, looking to be in her early forties with delicate crow's feet and thin lips. Her eyes were a vivid green nearly glowing in the firelight. Her red hair was vibrant and even rivaled the beauty of Starfire's, yet the woman herself was by no means as beautiful as the other Fates. The three women looked back at her as she stood in the doorway and dare not move.  
  
"Why so shy child, it was Fate you seek. We shall tell you of your destiny," the Red-Haired woman said as Raven caught a glimpse of a dead raven that lay bleeding on the table behind her. "Let me see thee little wicked girl." The Red- Haired woman said taking Raven's wrists in bloody hands.

She cringed at her touch, the woman's grip slick with blood. "Thou art not damned to this world," she whispered and pulled Raven to the vacant chair at the center of the table.  
  
Abigail placed down her black violin and took a seat opposite from Jane who was wearing nothing but white. The woman turned, her red waves flowing soft behind her. She stepped to the opposite side of the table, turning her back to Raven once more.  
  
"You have come here for answers, which you shall receive, but in return what shall one offer?" She asked and began cutting into the raven again.  
  
Raven winced still shaken from all she had taken in. With an unsteady hand, she reached under her collar, pulling free the cross she let suffer around her neck. "This is all I have to offer you three. It's the only thing that I truly value."  
  
Jane took the cross in her hand condescendingly, "We have little need nor desire for religious objects. The price we ask must be paid with a different fortune."  
  
Raven closed her eyes realizing what they'd meant. "Then take what you want."  
  
Jane placed the crucifix on the table and took in her hands a pair heavy shears as she moved over to Raven. "You are really quite fair, my dear," she cooed tracing her finger nails along Raven's arm and placed the blades of the shears by her neck. Raven gasped as the cold metal lightly ran across her skin while the woman in white smiled. "Let us start with a lock of your hair, and a taste of your fear." Jane then forcefully clipped a piece of her violet hair and returned to her seat.  
  
Abigail leaned in and took Raven's hand in hers. "A taste of your fear and an once of your life." She swiftly pulled out a knife and cut Raven hand forcing her to bleed into a stone bowl. "I'm sorry for the pain my dear, it just means you are alive."  
  
She freed Raven's hand and she pulled it away, clutching it as it began to heal almost instantly. Both Abigail and Jane looked at each other and smiled, exchanging the same look, leaving Raven uneasy. Jane placed the lock of violet hair in the bowl where it was mixed with the crimson blood.  
  
Raven took a moment to look around at the room. The brick walls and thick wood beams were aged and the stone fireplace burned furiously from the far wall. On the shelves sat jars filled with strange objects and substances. By their sides, many candles flicked wildly. The air was filled with the scent of burnt wood and multiple herbs.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Raven muttered unaware. The two Fates at her sides looked back at her turning their heads at the same time as though one entity.  
  
"It is not Hell you seek,"  
  
"But Hell that seeks you."  
  
The two woman smiled and Raven felt her eyes widen at their stare. The Red-Haired witch pulled her head up from its downward position and said, "If you wish to begin, please set flame to your life."

Raven remained silent with only Jane and Abagail looking down at the stone bowl. Abigail peered back at Raven without a word, but something in her eyes told her what she needed to do. Raven leaned forward almost unsure. She looked down inside the bowl, the contents soaked with her own blood. She looked back at the young Fate beside her in hopes of some sort of reassurance. She nodded slightly, her eyes waiting soft with anticipation.  
  
Raven placed her thumb and index finger close to her lips only inches away from the bowl. With a snap of her fingers, she exhaled a soft breath and her crimson hair caught fire. Suddenly both Abigail and Jane stood up from their chairs startling Raven as she jumped back. The two women both leaned on the tables facing her and the three witches began chanting.  
  
"We the ties of life and death,  
  
call upon with bite of breath.  
  
Tell us of all fair and foul,  
  
let us see beyond this hour."  
  
The Red-Haired woman turned and in her hand was the small heart of the bird. She threw it down into the flames to burn with Raven's hair and blood. The flames rose high upon contact as though giving it life. Raven looked on in awe, her eyes wide at the sight before her. In all her years at Azar's side she'd never seen witchcraft like this before.  
  
The three witches remained frozen as they looked up at the billowing smoke as though lost in trance. Raven looked at them curiously, unsure of what to expect. They were as still as statues and their eyes refusing to blink.  
  
"Is every…" Raven began, but was cut off as the wyrd sisters suddenly came to life.  
  
They looked back at her with fingers to their lips, instructing her to remain silent.

The Red-Haired Fate rolled back her head, running her bloody hand down her neck and over her chest as she began, "Your secrets are painted in blood red, bone and ivory, your body remembers what your mind cannot." She looked back at Raven with her piercing green eyes and continued. "You dear Raven, are the daughter of 3 and the being of 9, but 9 is not truly your name, you are at too _cras_ , much like the raven. Your mother named you for knowledge and wisdom; you have the power of mind as you are a warrior of knowledge. But still, you are the daughter of 3 and as the raven you are burning, but never consumed. Your father's flames are always around you, but will never become you. Your will is your own; your destiny does not belong to him. For it belongs to Fate."  
  
"So you're saying Trigon doesn't have any power over me?" She questioned with caution.  
  
"Your flesh belongs to him, so as long as you take breath, you'll never be truly free of him."  
  
"But you just-"  
  
"Silence, you are not listening, you need not hear what we say, only _hear what we tell you_." She snapped causing Raven to jump at her tone. "You, my child, have a mind filled with scorpions, they poison your thoughts with uncertainty and fear of who you are to become. You shall lead three lives, but never live to see four. I see a young man thou art in love with. You are his reason for breath; I see you have cut your name into his heart. Your devotion to him will be his second breath. You live your life in fear of death, but fear death you must not. You shall never be killed by life nor the living. You will only die at the hand of _death_."  
  
Raven remained silent looking back at the woman who stared at her, her eyes filled with fire and hands outstretched with painted flesh. She looked over at Abigail, who was the only Fate to portray a smile on her face as she rose from the table. She walked over to a chest off to the far corner of the room and picked up an object wrapped in a silk shawl. Without words she placed it down and unwrapped it, revealing the old box Raven had stored in her bag. Abigail sat down again and produced the necklace known as "The eye."  
  
Raven look at the box and hesitantly asked them what is was. The three woman looked back at one another and then to Abigail who looked over at Raven.

"The object in question is called a Coffin. It is used to trap and repress evil entities." She opened it and removed a large beetle. "The insects you see are but the shell of Their physical manifestation. They no longer need this embodiment; They have moved on to infest the flesh." She placed the creature down and moved on to the lid. "They were nailed within Their Coffin with 7 silver spikes, one for each arm, hand and knee, with the 7th being driven through Their mouth so that They could never rise and cause evil again."  
  
Raven swallowed her discomfort and pushed on. "What are They?" she asked softly.  
  
"They are a demonic union that have come together to create one entity. Apart, They cannot rival your power, but as one they equal and possibly even surpass yours. They've nothing to lose, where as you have everything to. They are known as _The Takers of Children_ or _The Collectors,_ sent by Trigon himself to harvest innocent souls to be devoured in Hell."  
  
Raven felt her guilt pulling at her heart and her concern for Terra became clear in her eyes. "How do I stop Them?"  
  
"You are the one They have truly come for, They won't cease until They have claimed you." Jane said with her high class British accent. "Your soul is too valuable for Trigon to lose."  
  
"There has to be something? I can't just let Terra suffer for all of eternity on my behalf. Please, I came here seeking your help." Raven pleaded with desperation clear in her voice.  
  
"And help you we shall, but it is not that simple my dear. What you are asking takes Time and more importantly the right Time. But you need not worry in the end things will be as they are." The Red Hair woman said taking a seat.  
  
Raven furrowed her brow painfully, "What does that even mean?"  
  
The woman leaned forward and pulled Raven close with her bloody hands. "You will know when the Time comes."  
  
Suddenly the door open and Raven turned to find the young man she remembered as King standing in the doorway. At first she didn't say anything, but felt her anger boil at him for poisoning her. He stepped into the room followed by the young woman who'd lured her away from the safety of the upper floor. It was then she realized she had no idea how far he'd taken her or if she was even in the same building at all. For all she knew, she wasn't even in Jump City anymore. She felt her fear spike when King sat down behind her only a few feet away.  
  
"We're in the middle of a meeting, what are you two doing here unsummon?" questioned the elder Fate.  
  
King remained silent as the young woman lit a cigarette and responded flamboyantly. "King here has a message for the little Raven girl, I'm just here for the entertainment my mistress."  
  
"Is this true, King?" Abigail asked looking in his direction. "If so, then from whom?"  
  
King leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees, "Her mother."  
  
Raven felt her breath tighten and pulled her hands free of the woman's bloody grip. She turned to him, though still cautious of his presence and sighed, "My mother?" He only nodded as Raven felt a rush of sadness swimming to the surface, but didn't know what to think. "How do I know she's really there, that you're not just making it up?"  
  
"Because he isn't," Abigail said sternly, "King is a medium. He not only speaks with the dead, he can see them as well."  
  
Raven looked over at him again noticing his eyes were cast upward toward at the glare of firelight. For a moment he looked as though he were entranced, his eyes clearly captivated and his mind numb to the world around him.  
  
His eyes closed a moment and it appeared as though he were letting go of something. His eyes opened and fell on Raven again as he said, "Your mother said to remind you that she named you _Raven_."  
  
Raven felt a tear fall from her eye and slip down her cheek. "Is that all she has to tell me?"  
  
"No, she wants you to know the truth; she wants you to know about the Oath."  
  
Raven turned to The Three Fates sitting before her with glassy desperation and said, "You know about the Oath?"  
  
"Of course we do. Handing Count De La Fay's soul over to Trigon was by far one of the more fulfilling things I've ever done." Abigail hissed.  
  
"Who?" Raven replied looking over at her with question.  
  
"Now Abigail, you should know better than all that Raven has no knowledge of the La Fay Family." The Red witch said. "It's not her fault her grandfather lied about who he really was."  
  
Raven's eyes widened with shock at the woman's words, "My grandfather's name was Jonathan Roth, wasn't it?"  
  
"No, your grandfather's name was Jonathan La Fay he was third generation of the La Fay family," Abigail said letting her frustration boil a bit.  
  
Raven's confusion took over as she looked back at the young Fate. "Then why did he go by Roth?" She questioned.  
  
"Because he was running away from who he was. Now Raven, you should know that better than anyone."  
  
"Abigail stop it," The Red witch demanded. "She doesn't know about the Oath nor the true the fate of her family."  
  
"Well maybe it's time she learned." She snapped rising from her chair and looked down at the young raven. "So let me ask you this, are you ready to go home, Raven?"  
  
"Home?"  
  
"Yes, that place in your nightmares truly exists and if you are ever to know who you really are it can only be found there."  
  
"But what about Terra and my friends, I can't leave them alone with Them?"  
  
"Your friends are not your concern at the moment and if you are to defeat Them you must go to the place where this all began." Jane added weaving a lock of vivid red hair.  
  
"Unfortunately, Jane is right, you must go, if you do not, you will never achieve your true destiny."  
  
"And what is that?" Raven snapped.  
  
The three Fates looked at one another then to Raven and said in unison, "We already told you. You must not hear what we say; only hear what we tell you." Their voices were poetic and lyrical as though they spoke as a chorus.  
  
Raven only looked back at them, realizing that they'd told her all she needed to know and the true meaning of their words rested within the verses they'd shared. Her life was of broken pieces she needed to put together, lost within code.  
  
"Now that it's settled, I will meet you there when the moon is high." Abigail turned and began to walk off toward the hallway.  
  
"Wait," Raven called, "I don't even know how to get there."  
  
Abigail turned with her stone face and replied, "King will take you."  
  
A look of distaste fell over Raven's face as she looked back at King who also seemed displeased with the request. "You want me to trust the guy who slipped me a magical rooffie?"  
  
"Hey, I only did what I was told." King said in his defense. "But Abigail, is it actually necessary that I take her?" He questioned with fear present in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, if King doesn't want to take the little birdy, I'd be happy to." The pink haired girl said in a mischievously playful voice.  
  
"No, I want King to do it. He too has history there, he must face it." Abigail said before slipping away behind the dark curtain.  
  
King nodded in defeat and the Red-Haired woman added, "Well then I my dear, I wish you luck on your journey, I hope that you find all you are missing." She rose from her chair and pointed to the pink haired girl. "Now Angel, before you go off to find some poor young soul to fall in love with you, cleanup this mess." She said pertaining to the mess of blood and feathers that awaited their disposal.  
  
"You three never let me have any fun, not even after I colored my pretty blond hair this awful shade of pink!" She sighed loudly throwing a fit.  
  
"Get over it, Angel." King said in frustration, rising from his chair.  
  
Angel took the deceased raven in her hands without even a second thought and approached him. "Tell your grandmother and Missy I said, hi." She said leaning in.  
  
King let out an unpleasant grunt and stormed off behind the curtain, letting more fear fill the air.  
  
Raven looked on confused as her eyes fell on Angel who by now had undone the straps to her garter belt and unlaced her corset. "If anyone needs me I'll be keeping Vol company in the bar."  
  
Raven watched as she slipped out the door and looked down at her bloody wrists and hands. She felt herself become sick momentarily as she held them down in front of her in disgust. The red gore practically glowed against her wintery complexion, looking far more vibrant in contrast. _"Your secrets are painted in blood red, bone and ivory,_ " replayed in her head as she realizing the symbolic nature of the verse.  
  
She looked over to find herself alone with Jane who sat with her plastic smile looking back at her. She was still dressed in her Victorian finery with a high lace collar and her hair styled with elegance. Raven looked down again at the beautiful hair she was weaving. Its red color was rich and unique as she'd only seen one other person with that color before.  
  
Raven let her eyes fall on the woman's form. Her face was still painted to perfection and her beauty was absolutely flawless to the point it was unnatural. She noticed the woman wore a chain of braided hair around her delicate neck. Its color a lovely brown very similar to her own. She looked over to The Eye that now lay on the table, recalling the vision it showed her and sound of that voice.  
  
"Who is Molly?" Raven asked boldly.  
  
Jane stirred, keeping herself composed as King reentered the room, "I have no idea whom you are speaking of."  
  
Raven looked down at the red hair once again, but this time with more raw emotion in her voice. "Where did you get that hair?"  
  
Jane stood up and looked over at King who waited in the doorway unsure of what to do. "Pretty girls such as yourself should not ask such trivial questions, they may not like the answers they find." She said wrapping her fingers around Raven's jaw. "You should really get cleaned up, you don't want to be _filthy_ upon your home coming now do you?" Jane questioned in a catty tone. "Though no amount of water could ever truly cleanse you of your natural impurity now could it?"  
  
Raven pulled away from insulted, feeling the sting her words left on her ego. Jane only smiled, her false kindness still sadistically painted on her face. She gracefully motioned for King to approach them and he did so.  
  
"Now King will take very good care of you, Raven." She added as she began to move away toward the door way.  
  
King place down a basin of warm water in front of her. Raven hesitantly picked up the damp cloth and began to wash away the blood that clung to her skin. As she was doing so, King noticed a cut on her shoulder and reached out to touch it. Raven immediately pulled away in distrust, her boundaries clearly crossed.  
  
King apologized and moved away from her. Raven continued washing her hands, never taking her eyes off the young man. She may have forgotten her better judgment once, but she'd never make the mistake of letting it happen twice.  
  
"I swear if you even lay a hand on me, I'll make you wish you were never born." She hissed cautiously.  
  
King shrugged, "It's a little late for that," he replied, "and give me some credit. Do you really think I would be stupid enough to think that someone as intelligent as you would be foolish enough to fall for the same trick twice?"  
  
Raven furrowed her brow in question, "I don't know, are you?"  
  
King smiled and took the basin from her and handed her, her coat, "If I am, then you have every right to terminate my existence."  
  
Raven took her coat with a wary smile and asked, "How come no one around here ever gives any straight answers?"  
  
"That's the thing Raven we do, you're just not listening."


	12. "Cras Cras," Said the Raven

 

> _"Mother, tell your children not walk my way,_
> 
> _Tell your children not hear my words--_
> 
> _What they mean, what they say, Mother." -- Danzig_

The tower was calm since the birds left, more so than it had been in recent weeks. Her fellow teammates, of course, tried to ask her some general questions, but to no one's surprise, she didn't really give any. She'd just mentioned they be wary of Terra while she was out and to keep her sedated. Robin added he'd be back shortly and he'd have his communicator on if anything were to occur.  
  
He'd informed Cyborg earlier that day that he'd gotten a call from Detective O'Brien, requesting to meet with him. Robin reluctantly accepted, but only because the detective agreed to meet off the record. It had now been about a half hour or so since they'd left and in their absence the tower was quiet.  
  
Cyborg had spent a good part of the day monitoring Terra's vital sign's, which brought him much worry. She was extremely underweight and her heart rate was weak for a girl of age and stature. He was very aware that if enough stress were put upon it she could suffer a massive heart attack. The thought only gave him an eerie reminder of how real the situation was. He still had trouble grasping the idea that something so horrible and unreal could actually be infesting the body of his friend and teammate. Just the idea that evil could (if given the opportunity) engulf you in its wrath, only made him shudder with fear and repulsion. Disbelieve was something he quarreled with, especially over such a sinister thing, but the surreal images he'd been forced to look upon, only altered his reality.  
  
Beast Boy, much like his fellow teammate, found himself asking similar questions, but his were more culpable in nature. He himself could not stomach the idea that he was losing the person he loved most to something he could hardly believe in, let alone fight. He asked himself how he could been so blind. She’d been slipping way in front of his very eyes, yet he chose not to see it. In the back of his mind he knew she was becoming less and less like herself. He witnessed her withering away, like a wildflower dying out in the cold, but was sightless to the hand that oppressed her. In frustration, he blamed himself for her loss and found himself caught in the idea that if he'd just spoken up sooner, he could've prevented it.  
  
Still, the two young men found themselves staring off into nothing with only silence to keep them company. It was as though nothing could be said as neither wanted to speak of the horrors they'd witnessed or the guilt they faced. Cyborg rubbed his neck sheepishly, looking down at the test results in his hands, still trying to make sense of them. When he finally looked up he saw Starfire entering the room. He couldn't help but notice how tired she looked and how much her physical appearance had changed. Her red hair had become lifeless and possessed little body, her skin no longer holding its luster. Even the way she held herself was different. Her head hung lower and her shoulders seemed to roll forward as though she were trying to sink herself. Her mentality just seemed smaller, weaker, and even sickly, but no one really knew why.  
  
"Star, are you alright?" he asked no longer able to hold back his concerns.  
  
"I fear not, friend Cyborg," she replied with little feeling. "I have little desire these days."  
  
"I've noticed, I think we need to do some tests, maybe we can—" he was cut off by the young alien as she held her hand up, requesting his silence.  
  
"That is not necessary. I know there is nothing medically wrong with me. I fear that the cause is something we do not understand, and in truth, I feel little will to care," she sighed with hardly a hint of emotion in her dull eyes.  
  
Cyborg and Beast Boy both flinched at her tone.

"Star, don't say that, there is always—"  
  
"Hope?" She questioned. "Not always… not anymore. There is not any point." She looked back at her friends with a desolate and lifeless stare. Her new outlook more broken and bitter than anyone could have ever imagined.  
  
"Star, you can't just give up like that, you have to keep going," Beast Boy pleaded.  
  
"Why must I? There is not much I have left."  
  
"You have us, Star." Cyborg replied, causing her to stir, but not greatly.  
  
"For now, but like friend Terra, I fear our time here may be cut short."  
  
"What are you talking about? Where are you going?" the green boy asked, wounded by her words.  
  
"Somewhere I can be by my lonesome. I do not wish to be in the company of others at this time."  
  
Starfire retreated down the long hallway leaving her bewildered and somewhat defeated teammates behind. Beast Boy stood up to go after her, but Cyborg stopped the young man.  
  
"What are you doing, Cye? she needs us," the changeling spat.  
  
"Just give her some time. She's not herself right now, just let her cool down."  
  
The green boy looked up to the mechanical man, a painful protest in his eyes. "That's what I'm afraid of."

333

Raven stood shaking her head at the idea, almost hell-bent on refusing. "I'm not getting in a car with you," she insisted as King looked back at her with annoyance in his eyes.  
  
"Then how else do you propose we get there?" He glared at her hardly amused, hoa patience running a bit thin.

  
Raven Laughed. It really was a good question. It's not like she could teleport there. She had no idea where they were going and even if she did, she still had no connection to it. She sighed heavily and looked back at King who was looking over at her from the driver's side door.  
  
His head rested on the roof, his arm crossed beneath his chin. "I don't want to go there any more than you do, believe me," he said with little desire in his voice. "You're just gonna have to trust me."  
  
"That's asking a lot," she scoffed looking away from him, her eyes drifting off into the distance.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, I understand why you don't trust me. You shouldn't. Not after what I did to you. I'm sorry."  
  
"Then why’d you do it?" she asked leaning against the old Cutlass with intrigue.  
  
"Because I do what is asked of me. It's as simple as that."  
  
"That's not a very good reason."

She opened door and slipped inside, a heavy sigh leaving her lips as she sat on the cool leather pulled the door shut.  
  
King shook his head and slid into the driver's seat of the ‘79 Cutlass. He looked back at Raven before turning the key waiting in the ignition. "You still don't trust me do you?"  
  
"Nope, but I trust that you know enough not to fuck with me again, and that's good enough for me."

"And that’s it's good enough for me." He turned the key and the old car came to life.

The sound of Glen Danzig's voice cut through the silence with its low serenade. King threw the car in reverse, pulling out of its parking space and headed for the road.  
  
Raven sat back, looking out the window at the old building as she began to ponder all she'd previously witnessed. The thoughts of the verses and words began to tangle themselves in her head. She thought about what King had said earlier when she’d asked why no one gave straight answers.  
  
"So King, you said earlier that “ _I wasn't listening_ ,” care to elaborate?"  
  
He smiled and looked back at the violet haired girl. "It's simple really. We tend to see things a certain way and when we do, it can occasionally blind us," he replied peering down at the radio. "Take this song for example. Most people think it's about religion because the narrator has taken a challenging stance, asking the question, _can you protect **your children** from **me**._ He taking the stance of content, and challenging censorship. All too often parents what to protect their children from the world and what deem evil, but is it really? Who are they to say? "  
  
Raven tuned her head and cracked a smile. "I know this song isn't about religion, but I get your point. People misinterpret what they hear because they don't actually hear it…" _Shit,_ she thought, quickly recalling something the Red Haired witch said. "You wouldn't happen to have a pen and paper would you?"  
  
"Yeah, in the glove box."  
  
Raven muttered a thank you and quickly retrieved the requested items and began to write down her thoughts. _She said I was crass, much like the Raven_ , she said silently, writing down the word, realizing her interpretation was wrong.

"She meant _cras_ not _crass_ ," she muttered and crossed out the English variation, recalling the Latin term. This term being pronounced very similar to its English descendant, only this variation meant " _tomorrow_."

She pondered the thought, trying to bridge the gap that loomed in her mind. “ _You, dear Raven, are the daughter of 3 and the being of 9, but 9 is not your name"_ Ok so _3_ means Trigon, I am Trigon's daughter, I already know that, and I am _9_ so that makes sense or does it?” She paused and pressed the pen to her lips in thought staring at the number and words she’d scribbled down, ponder her meaning until it finally hit her. _"I named you Raven…"_

The words hit in the wave of an old memory. Her mother had told of Odin the Raven God, a figure in Norse Mythology. He had many daughters called valkyries who'd take the form of ravens and fly to meet the end of bloody battles to accompany the fallen Norse warriors to the afterlife. It was because of this that ravens became associated with warriors and were seen as a symbol of strength. And were often interrupted seen as angels.  She'd also mentioned that ravens can make a vocalization that resembles, _cras, cras_. It's because of this sound that some cultures thought the bird to have a gift of clairvoyancy. This ultimately gave the creature an image of wisdom and knowledge.  
  
 _Raven = Tomorrow… Future? But that can't be cause 9 means the end, doesn't it?_ _She even said that as long as I'm alive, I'll never be free of Him. "As long as you take breath," My flesh belongs to Trigon. Does that mean I'm not actually damned to Hell?  
  
_ "You trying to decode over there?" King asked peering over at the young woman deep in thought.  
  
"Basically," she replied rubbing her brow. "I just realized I never learned that woman's name, the one with the red hair?"  
  
King looked in the rear view mirror and winced. "That's because she doesn't really have one, at least not anymore."  
  
"How do you lose a name?" Raven asked puzzled.  
  
"Each Fate used to be human, each died of unfortunate, yet fateful circumstances. Each one has a curse to symbolize their death to keep them tethered to their humanity. "Melissa, as we call her, was burned at the stake under the rein of Mary Queen of Scotts. However, before she was set a light, she was tortured to give-up her coven. It was during her torture that she received a horrible head injury, resulting in the loss of her memory. Upon receiving her death she was cursed with the loss of her identity. She has no recollection of who she actually was. She was buried unidentified in a pompous grave along-side the poor souls of the accused and forgotten..."  
  
"That's horrible," Raven sighed, remembering tails she heard from Azar as to why her people fled this plane. "What about the others?"  
  
"Jane was hung after the disappeared of her daughter. She was a woman who used her beauty to marry well for position in Victorian society. Her husband, however, felt her to be a little eccentric. She became obsessed with her vanity and began looking for ways to combat her aging appearance after giving birth to their daughter. He found the behavior disturbing and tried to have her institutionalized, but he conveniently died before he could fully pursue the matter. Rumors spread that she’d been practicing witchcraft and sacrificed the little girl after she vanished. Jane was dragged out of her home and hung by an angry mob with no judge or trial. For her supposed actions she was cursed with vanity. She sees herself as a lifeless crone and goes out of her way to make sure the rest of us don't. She sees herself for who she is."  
  
"That sounds horrible, but fare,” she replied, finding the punishment suiting since she had the sinking suspension that Jane was actually guilty. "What about Abigail?"  
  
"Abigail, now that one is a little different and I think you should ask her yourself. All I can really say about Abigail's curse is that she never actually _lived_."  
  
Raven tilted her head back in question. "What does that even mean?"

"Don't worry Raven, you'll find your answers as they come to you. It's just a matter of the _right time."_  
  
Raven shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, taking a moment to realize they were beginning to leave the city limits. "Where exactly are you taking me?"  
  
"Not far outside the city. The area is more remote and underdeveloped, but it makes for a nice drive." King replied.  
  
Raven looked over at him and reached into her empty coat pockets. She knew what she wished to find was already gone and she wouldn't receive it until Abigail was finished with her.  
  
"Are you sure I can't have my communicator back?" She asked in a slightly hopeful tone.  
  
King looked back at her with a hint of regret, but covered it quickly. "I'm sorry Raven, if I had it I'd give it to you, but unfortunately, for that reason, Abigail didn't trust me with it."  
  
Raven looked away from him and let her gaze drift to the road ahead. "I just wish I could let them know I’m okay."  
  
"Your friends don't need to worry about you; nothing will happen that isn't supposed to."

333

Starfire walked down the hall toward her bedroom. Her body ached in a way it never had and only added to the bittiness that crawled beneath her skin. _I feel as if I am dying_ , she thought as she wandered the dark hallway with little motivation.  
  
In a moment of weakness she let her body lean against the wall, but even the contact screamed for her nerves to riot. She let out a light groan and silently damned herself for not being able to push forward. She'd fought many battles and received many injuries, yet none of them ever provided this breed of suffering. Her will to progress was gone, and only a little shred of honor seemed to voice itself in the back of her mind. _You must keep going. It is not of the impossible_. The sting of regret began to build in her eyes. "Then why do I feel that I cannot?" She asked aloud to no ear. Her brittle voice echoed down the hallway and faded into nothing, vanishing without a sound.  
  
She took a deep breath and winced at the pain that trembled through her ribcage. “Maybe I should let friend Cyborg run "the tests" on me,” she asked herself, struggling to pull herself to her feet.  
  
Suddenly she heard a faint cry like the sound of a child whimpering in the distance. She remained still for a moment and tried to locate the direction of the sound. The cry didn't make any sense to her and she took into consideration the possibility she was imagining it. She moved toward into the dark shadows where it was coming from, every step like shattered glass to her bones.  
  
"Hello, please state your presences," the alien girl grimaced, making her way down the dark hallway.  
  
Her eyes fell on the elevator at the end of the hallway, as it was overcome by sinister shadows. The crying seemed to be growing louder—more potent. Starfire found herself growing cautious as she was unsure of the sound's origin.  
  
"If there is anyone there, identify yourself at once please?" she damned weakly, slowly approaching the elevator.  
  
Without warning the door slid open and she jump back, freezing with anticipation. To her surprise, and relief, there was no one there. The elevator was unoccupied, causing her to let out a light sigh of solace. Until suddenly a dark shadowy creature scampered out from the shadows and into the elevator. Its movements were unreal, making the young woman shudder as they had an almost broken _child-like_ quality to them. The thing kept itself well hidden in the darkness and took cover in the corner of the empty chamber.  
  
Starfire found herself frozen for a moment of disbelief, but managed to push herself forward. The crying became louder as she peered into the elevator, keeping her defenses up. She peered inside and to her shock it was empty, but the cries still continued only now they were calling her name.  
  
"Please, help mem Starfire, please she'll, find me," A soft childish voice whimpered.  
  
Starfire entered the empty lift and placed her ear to the wall. "Are you out there, who are you?" She questioned when she heard the elevator door close behind her. Startled, she tried to run for the doors, but was too late. They closed, keeping her trapped inside.  
  
She began trying to pry the heavy doors open, but found her strength far too diminished to do so. The lift began to move and descend down the elevator shaft. She tried pressing the buttons to get the elevator to stop, but found it was set on its destination—the medical wing.  
  
She panicked, and tried using the emergency switch to notify the others, but found it was “out of commission.” In defeat she slammed on the doors hoping they’d stop, but they didn’t. Not until they reached the place they were set on taking her.

The doors slowly slid open and Starfire could again hear the childish cries and pleas for help as they echoed through the long hallway. She stayed put a minute and tried to press the button for the main floor. To her dismay nothing happened; she'd have to either take the stairs or call Cyborg for assistance. She stepped out of the elevator, leaving it vacant and entered the medical wing.  
  
The stairs where at the end of a hallway to her right. It wasn't that long of a walk, but in her condition the fatigue would be too much. However, the service phone was only on the opposite side of the supply closet. She moved forward nervously, her heart racing and threatening to beat right of her chest. She’s never been this frightened before, even in the face of nearly losing her life. There was different here, something so evil that held no honor and no code. This was something wicked, it would devours her soul.

 The cries persisted and again she heard her name being called only this time, it was more urgent.  
  
She held her breath and looked back, trying to find the odd creature she'd seen only moments ago. "What is it you require, what is your business?" Her voice was fragile and shook with fear, a small cackle rising into the air, but with no visible source.  
  
In haste, she tried to step around the corner, when something fell to the floor in a black mass. Starfire gasped and felt her eyes go wide. The creature was crawling viciously across the floor dragging its body along the tile as though wounded.  
  
Starfire let out a faint scream as she watched the thing make its way to the far end of the hall. Once it reached the metal door it reach for the handle and opened the entry way. It slid down the door and hobbled inside as Starfire cautiously followed behind. As she entered the room, the creature sat up only to dissolve into thin air. Its black essence rising like smoke, then dissipating into nothing. Starfire froze horrified as she looked on at the macabre sight. But it wasn't until she laid her eyes on the bound girl that she realized she'd entered the lion’s den.  
  
The girl was sobbing miserably, like a weak animal caught in a trap. "Oh Starfire, please," she murmured, "these straps are too tight, I can't feel my hands." Her voice was weak and brittle as pleaded for mercy, the sound pulling at alien’s heart strings.  
  
"I do not think that is wise," Starfire replied.  
  
"Please Star, the straps are cutting into my skin. If they're on any longer my hands will go dead," she whimpered trying to capture the alien's sympathy once more.  
  
Starfire could see the tears streaming down the girl's face as they played to her weakened judgment. "I do not think Friend Raven would approve. I will ask Robin what he thinks when he returns."  
  
"Starfire you know me, I'm your friend." Terra begged, letting the pain flow through her eyes. "And since when do you need Robin's permission to make your own decisions? You don't even belong to him anymore." The girl hissed. "Please Star you know me—I'm asking you as a _friend_ and _I need_ your help. I only need you to loosen them."  
  
Starfire thought about the girl's plight and she couldn't help but feel sorry for her. The sight of her alone and fearful, thrashing about in what looked like unbearable pain only made her more sympathetic. Terra was, after all, still her friend, and she couldn't let her friend suffer.  
  
"Maybe I can just loosen the restraints?" she mused slowly moving toward the frail looking girl.  
  
"Oh, thank you Starfire, I owe you my life," Terra cried with a sigh of gratitude.  
  
Starfire cautiously placed her hands on the heavy leather strap that bound her left hand. She took one last look at the deathly looking girl and let the buckle free. She held the strap tightly for a moment as though waiting to see if the girl would stir which she didn't. She then began to slowly release the tensions, still keeping her eyes set to the girl. For a moment, she looked down at the strap to fasten it and exhaled the breath she'd been holding. In this moment, she'd let her guard down and without warning Terra jerked her hand free. Stunned, Starfire reached out to take hold of the free limb, but was caught by a swift hand. The Girl's small fingers wrapped around the alien's now frail wrist tightly, and pulled her down.  
  
"I knew I could count on you, Star, you're just so sweet and caring… to a _fault_." Terra smiled eerily.  
  
"Unhand me at once!" Starfire demanded, trying to free herself from the creature's grip.  
  
"Oh what's the matter my dear, do I remind you of someone? Someone who has been very _cruel_ to you?" The thing laughed in amusement, with every chuckle slowly becoming lower and more demonic. "You know you almost remind Us of your sister. Only she, unlike you, has the venom to become a queen," They thing spat.  
  
"Stop! I do not wish to hear your deceit," Starfire commanded trying to pull free, but suddenly felt a burning on her skin. She began to cry out in pain as the demon's grip tightened.  
  
"It's not deceit We are speaking girl! We are telling what will become of you!" They growled. "Yes, you will one day wear the crown, but you will not have it for long. Your sister will depose you and when she does, your people will turn on you."  
  
Starfire screamed in both revulsion and pain as the smell of scorched flesh filled her nose. Sinister laughter was ominously present, echoing around her as she fought with what little strength she had left. But to her dismay, she couldn't break free of Them.

333

  
Cyborg and Beast Boy remained in the common room. Both Titans unsuccessfully trying to find any configuration of words that could provide even a hint of a comfort.  
  
"Do you think we should go talk to Starfire now?" Beast Boy asked a little cautiously.  
  
Cyborg looked over at him a moment and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah we probably should, maybe we can convince her to let us try and help her." The mechanical man replied with a little hope. "Why don't you go check on Star, while I go change Terra's IV drip?"  
  
The green boy looked away a little defeated at the thought. He hadn't been down to the ward all day and shuddered at images he'd experienced there. His heart still broke for the young girl he still loved and wanted nothing more than to save.  
  
Cyborg could see the light flush of pain rush over his friend's face. He knew it was too hard for him to accept and couldn't blame him. In a sense he was watching her die and there was a good chance she was. In Cyborg's opinion it was a miracle she was still breathing at all, and he wasn’t sure how much more her body could take.  
  
"Yeah, I'll go check on Star," Beast Boy said in a quivering voice.  
  
"This will all work out," Cyborg said, unsure how truthful his statement was, but felt his friend needed the hope.  
  
The changeling smiled and walked off to the hallway as Cyborg turned to venture down to medical wing. He watched as his defeated friend disappeared down the hallway and hoped to God that his words were true. _If anything happens to her I don't know what he'll do,_ he thought pressing the button to summon the elevator.  
  
Beast Boy walked along the shadows, an unmovable sadness hanging over him. His helplessness and despair keeping him at a loss. He promised he'd always protect Terra and he'd never let anything happen to her again. Yet, it seemed it was a promise made in bad faith, possessing good intentions, but little realism. They were a force he couldn't fight and could hardly understand. Still, his frustration and anger boiled. Terra had already been through so much, how could the universe be so cruel to one person? Beast Boy understood why she made the mistakes she'd made. She'd only experienced betrayal from the people who were supposed to protect and love her. She had a rocky foundation and her morals where flawed. But she, at heart, was a good person who just needed someone to believe in her for once. She'd finally found a family to care for her and a place she could call home. But now, it seemed her happy ending would be short lived.  
  
Beast Boy fought back the rush of tears that filled his eyes as he approached Starfire's door. _You may not be able to help Terra, but a least you can still help Star—or at least try to_ , the changeling thought with bitterness.

He knocked at the door and called out her name, but received no answer. "Star, you in there?" His brow furrowed and he took a deep, worried breath. "Star answer me—Star?"  
  
Finally with concern deep in his heart Beast Boy Opened the door and rushed into the dark room of pink and lavender furnishings. The smell of sweet fruit hung in air, but the room remained deathly still. "Star?" he questioned slowly. His eye fell on the bathroom door and the light seeping out from crack above the threshold. He hesitated a moment, but cautiously approached the door. He placed his hand on the nob and knocked with a worried fist. "Star Please, if you're in there just say something?" He pleaded to no response. "Star, that's it I'm coming in even if I have to break the door down!" But to his surprise the door was not locked.  
  
The door slowly swung open to reveal the room to be empty. His eyes peered around the room with curiosity, and to his shock, he found the sight to be somewhat disturbing. To his right he saw Starfire's hair brush, its bristles filled with an overwhelming amount of red hair. His eyes fell on the sink where a few large locks of hair laid lifeless within it. This gave Beast Boy the impression that her hair must have been falling out. He thought about how traumatic it must have been for her to look down upon the handfuls of once coveted hair. Starfire was strong and lively, but it seemed she was withering away just as Terra was. And the lifeless strands were only a harsh reminder of how diminished she'd become.  
  
He was quickly broken from his thought as a startling sound echoed off the white tile. He jumped, but soon caught his breath, realizing the sound was only his communicator sounding off. He pulled the object free from his pocket, thinking he'd hear either Robin or Raven's voice at the other end. But to his surprise, it was neither.  
  
"B, get down here—now! We have a situation!" Cyborg shouted with fear present in his voice. In the background he could hear Starfire's horrified screams coupled with the harsh shrieks of the demonic force that was with no doubt wreaking havoc.  
  
"I'm coming Vic! Just hold on," Beast Boy exclaimed in response to the horrible sounds that pierced his ears.

He quickly stumbled out of the bathroom and into the hall making his way to the elevator with great haste. He impatiently slammed on the button, demanding the door open. After a few moments it did so and he entered, once again hitting the button with force. His panic was now in full swing as his hands fumbled to hold on to his communicator. It fell from his hands and ironically shattered as it hit the floor. He looked down at it with despair as the door opened revealing the dark hallway of the medical ward. The sounds of screams and breaking equipment filled his ears, leaving him with a rush of fear. _Get a hold of yourself, Gar. You friends need you—Terra needs you,_ he told himself, rushing out of the elevator and ran down the hall, ready for whatever life threw at him. Or so he thought.

 


End file.
